Afterlight
by PhoenixRising1
Summary: Twilight from Alice's POV. Yes, it has been done before, I thought it sounded like fun.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes: None of this belongs to me. All credit goes to Stephanie Meyer. Most of the story comes from _Twilight _and _Midnight Sun._

Chapter 1

It was lunchtime. Again. Just another day of playing pretend for the children attending Forks High. I felt the desire to sigh in exasperation. Who knew how many times the five of us had sat through a lunch period just like this one, staring at the inedible slop the humans called food, just counting the minutes until the bell released us? Emmett and I had once tried to actually calculate the number of minutes we had all spent in purgatory- I mean, High School- and only stopped when it became too depressing.

I looked across the cafeteria and stared at the miniscule dust motes dancing in the very slight breeze made by Lisa Marcus fanning her face three tables over. Normally I was the most good-natured of my siblings about going to school. Today I was just in a bad mood. I was too worried about Jasper.

The voices of the students jumbled together and mixed into one cacophony that bounced off of the cafeteria walls. Had I any desire I could have picked each voice apart, dissecting their inane conversations, but I had heard it all before. I tried to distract myself by letting the lull of the children's voices wash over me, hearing "new girl" and "hot" and "ask her" and "math" all at once.

As much as I tried, I couldn't keep my mind away from Jasper for too long. I knew he was suffering. It had been a little over two weeks since we had hunted. While this resulted in a little bit of discomfort for me (after all, I prefer not holding my breath), I knew Jasper must be in a tremendous amount of pain.

_Edward,_ I thought out to my favorite brother. Even though I knew he must have been hearing my previous thoughts, I wanted to make sure he was paying attention. _How is he holding up? _I thought at him. I kept my gaze firmly fixed away from Edward, as if I was simply staring into space. The charade was for my other siblings, as well as for the children surrounding us.

From where I was sitting I could see all of my family in front of the cafeteria full of students, so I saw Edward's very slight frown. I felt myself start to panic, and couldn't bring myself to relax. All of my usual tricks, such as taking deep breaths or humming Rachmaninov or Tchaikovsky, would give me away to Jazz.

I tried to watch Jasper as subtly as possible. _Is there any danger? _I asked Edward. He could judge Jasper's mental stability and will power better than I could. By the time I had a vision, it could already be too late. I looked through the future as best as I could, sifting through visions quickly: I made a note to tell Carlisle to sell a stock by Thursday; Mike Newton was going to drudge up the courage to go talk to the pretty new girl with brown hair; snow would fall next weekend; we would have a pop quiz in French. That was all I could see.

Edward gave a minute shake of his head, answering my question. I let my shoulders relax a little. I felt bad for doubting Jasper, but I knew the constant surveillance was necessary. He was still the newest to our way of life, and he had the hardest time abstaining.

_Let me know if it gets too bad._ I knew Edward would hear my thought. Right away he gave the smallest of barely perceptible nods.

_Thank you for doing this, _I thought to him. I knew he would rather not add Jasper's thirst to his own denial, but again, it was truly necessary.

Just then I felt the slight jerk in the pit of my stomach that always accompanied the oncoming of a fresh vision. I felt the edges of my vision go black as I saw Jasper walk up to Whitney Torie, lean down behind her to smell her short, sandy hair. Next he would lean his lips in to touch the arch of her throat, savoring the burn of desire before his fangs ripped into her neck. Before a single child in the cafeteria could utter a scream, Jasper would begin to suck her dry, while my siblings and I stood stunned, not knowing what to do-

I was yanked out of my vision by the sound of a foot splintering a piece of chair wood. I came to and saw Whitney walk out of the cafeteria unscathed, her sandy hair bouncing as she moved her hips.

"Sorry," Jazz muttered, and I could hear genuine regret and stubborn rebellion in his voice.

"You weren't going to do anything," I lied. I had to. I couldn't bear to see Jasper looking so sad. "I could see that." When Jazz continued to look down in shame I said, "It helps a little if you think of them as people." I talked too quickly for humans to understand, just in case anyone overheard us. "Her name is Whitney. She has a baby sister she adores. Her mother invited Esme to that garden party, do you remember?"

"I know who she is," Jasper said, his Southern accent coming out even stronger than usual in his irritation. He turned away from me to stare out the windows, and I knew that he had just ended the conversation.

I sat in extreme stillness until I could be sure that I would not cry in frustration. Jasper was hurting, and I couldn't take it personally. Still, it ached to see him turn away from me when I was just trying to help him. I sighed and got up, taking my tray with me. I dumped my tray and left the cafeteria out the backdoor, then headed to the art room. Sometimes Mrs. Writkoff let me start class early, and I felt like painting to ease my mind.

I was no da Vinci, but I thought I captured the essence of the bovine skull and cactus still life that we were supposed to paint pretty efficiently. The assignment wasn't challenging enough, but it was better than nothing. The bell rang and other students filed in, taking their places behind their easels. The class hour passed quickly. I painted half-heartedly, truly focusing my mind on Jasper. I wanted to be prepared in case there were any other close calls such as in the cafeteria earlier. That had been much too close for anyone's comfort. But I received no visions regarding Jasper and violence. At one point I felt that familiar yank in my stomach and my vision going black, but when I saw it had to do with Edward I forced the vision away. My favorite brother would have to wait for today. I needed to focus on Jazz.

When the bell rang to signal the end of class, I sighed in relief. Only one more hour to go. I could make it through. We could make it through. I made my way to English, bothered by the feeling that I was missing something. However, I was focusing extremely hard on Jazz, and I knew that I had missed nothing with him. He was perfectly fine, holding his breath in Biology. The feeling that I was forgetting something, or that I was wrong about something, grew throughout class. I could barely pay attention to the lecture. Not that it mattered. I had _Wuthering Heights _memorized. So I focused even harder on Jasper, hell-bent on missing nothing. If he crossed his legs, I wanted to have a premonition alerting me of it.

Class seemed to pass this way incredibly slowly, but finally school ended. I moved as quickly as I dared, anxious to meet up with Jazz. I was the first to arrive at Edward's silver Volvo, and I stood outside the front passenger seat.

A voice came from behind me. "Excuse me, ma'am, but I'd be obliged if you'd allow me to help you into your seat."

A smile lit across my face, but I forced it back and turned around slowly. "That would be kind of you, good sir," I said formally. When I saw the twinkle in Jasper's eyes, I couldn't hold my smile back anymore. I jumped up into his arms and kissed him deeply, threading my fingers through his silky hair.

Someone loudly cleared their throat from the other side of the Volvo. Jasper let go of me immediately and set me down lightly, and I turned around to see Rosalie giving us a bored frown and Emmett giving us a huge smirk.

"I didn't know how to tell you, Jasper, but you had a tiny vampire all over your face. It's gone now," Emmett laughed.

I knew if Jasper could blush he would right then, but I just daintily gave Jasper a peck on the cheek and said, "You're just jealous, Emmett."

Once Jasper opened the door for me I took shotgun and the other three filed in to the backseat.

"Where is Edward?" Rosalie asked. The parking lot had already mostly emptied.

"I don't know," Emmett said. "But I wonder if I can get him to be on my team for a rematch tonight. What do you say, Jazz?" The boys began to bicker good-naturedly for a few minutes.

Just then Edward opened the driver's door and slid in. He was gasping desperately for air and his eyes were round as saucers. I had never seen him like that.

"Edward?" I asked. I couldn't keep the fear out of my voice.

Edward just shook his head at me.

"What the hell happened to you?" Emmett asked with anger and anxiety.

We all slammed into our seats as the car jerked into reverse. Edward turned a sharp right and sharply accelerated. My internal senses told me we were soon going at least sixty-five miles per hour, and I looked into the future to make sure we would not get a speeding ticket. That was the last thing we needed to deal with right now. Luckily I saw nothing, so I was free to focus on Edward.

I felt Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper staring at me for answers, but I shrugged. I was desperately searching the future for clues. I was also seriously regretting not paying attention to my earlier vision that had to do with Edward. I skimmed ahead in the future, looking for Edward. I saw him driving long into the night, passing signs that said _Anchorage…. 52 miles. _

"You're leaving?" I whispered. Any air I had in my chest suddenly disappeared. I felt the others staring at me. I could feel Jasper's gaze as if a heating lamp was on the back of my neck.

"Am I?" Edward hissed, the noise coming out through his clenched teeth.

I continued to look into the future and saw Edward's decisions change. "Oh," I moaned. I saw the new Swan girl, dead. Her blood drained out of her. I saw Edward's eyes alight with her crimson blood, his mouth tightened in a grimace of shame and self-loathing. I saw Charlie Swan sobbing as he identified his broken, bloodless daughter's corpse. I saw the witch hunt that would ensue as the town attempted to try and find the killer. And then we would wait, and then leave; for we could not stay past the time it would take to distill suspicion.

Edward's mind became more focused and certain. "Oh," I said again. I saw him at the Swan girl's house. Isabella was in a small kitchen decorated in yellow. Edward crept up on her from behind, following the pull of her blood…

"Stop!" Edward groaned. He sounded tortured.

"Sorry," I whispered. My eyes were wide with shock and horror. Maybe that was what made Edward's mind shift again. I felt the tug of a change in the future and saw snow-covered pine trees flashing by, a highway bereft of cars except one going incredibly fast, heading nowhere… "I'll miss you," I said. "No matter how short a time you're gone." And even though I didn't see it, I had to believe that sometime soon Edward would come back to us.

Emmett and Rose exchanged a nervous glance that they thought no one else could see. I noticed that we were close to the turn-off to the drive that led to the house.

"Drop us here," I said in an authoritative tone. "You should tell Carlisle yourself." I could see it now. Edward entering the hospital, attempting to walk in the shadows so as not to gain any attention of the adoring nurses. He would enter Carlisle's office, who would mercifully be free, and say "I have to go, Carlisle. I have to go _now_."

The car jerked to a stop with a squeal. The other three got out in silence, and I knew I had a lot of explaining to do.

I touched Edward's shoulder. "You will do the right thing," I ordered. "She's Charlie Swan's only family. It would kill him, too."

"Yes," he said.

_Please, Edward_ I thought as I got out of the car, but I didn't know if his thoughts were too distracted for him to hear me.

We ran towards home, and when I turned around the car was gone.

The four of us whipped past trees as we ran down the gravel path that led towards the path.

"Start talking, Half-Pint," Emmett ordered as we all flew down the driveway.

"I will," I trilled, "but wait until we're with Esme."

Emmett groaned and used his frustration to run even faster. It was no surprise that he was the first one to arrive at the house. Esme was standing outside the front door with a smile on her beautiful heart-shaped face, ready to greet us. Her smile fell when she saw that one of us was missing.

All four of us came to a stop in front of her. Emmett threw an arm over Rosalie's shoulder.

"Jasper? Alice? Where's your brother?" Esme turned to us. Jasper grabbed my hand.

"Yeah, Alice," Emmett said. "I'd like to know that myself."

Esme frowned in worry and turned to me again. "What does he mean? Has something happened?"

"Mom, I'm sorry to tell you this, but Edward has left us for a while. I think… I think something happened today in class with that new girl, Isabella Swan. He almost killed her. I'm so sorry. I was so focused on Jasper that I didn't see it." I turned to Jasper with an apologetic look on my face, and was alarmed to see him frowning. I forgot that he didn't know that I was watching him so closely. We would definitely have a discussion about that later.

Esme gasped. "He almost did what?"

"There's a lot that I actually don't know. I'm running on very little information here. But yeah, that's what it seems like. So he's gone away for awhile, until he can control himself better."

Emmett looked incredibly shocked. Rosalie looked disdainful. Esme looked as if she was fighting back tears. I couldn't bear to see my adoptive mother looking so upset, so I ran to her and folded her into an embrace. "It will be alright," I murmured. "He will come back to us. I know it."

Esme wiped nonexistent tears out of her eyes and muttered, "Yes, you're right."

All five of us went inside and stood in the dining room that only seemed to see use in serious and formal situations. We talked about the day, trying to piece together what happened. Esme kept on repeating that she just couldn't believe it, and Emmett kept saying that he was going to kill Edward. Then we all heard the purr of Edward's Volvo.

"He came back!" Esme cried and ran out the front door. However when we all followed her we saw that it was not Edward but Carlisle who stepped out of the front seat. "What has happened?" Esme asked. "Is Edward-"

"Edward is alright. He has gone to visit Tanya, Kate, and Irina in Denali."

Rosalie and Emmett exchanged shocked glances. "But what about the girl?" Emmett said. "What is he going to do about her?"

Carlisle sighed. "We had a quick talk, and I reminded Edward that he is not driven by his baser instincts. By now he is probably close to the state border. The girl will be fine. Now I know you all will miss him while he's gone-" (Rosalie gave a scornful sniff) "but we must act as if nothing is different. Alright? He will come home when he is ready."

We all nodded our agreement and went inside, to begin the long wait for Edward's return.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Notes: None of this belongs to me. All credit goes to Stephanie Meyer. Most of the story comes from _Twilight _and _Midnight Sun._

Chapter 2

The rest of the school week was miserable for everyone. The family felt off-kilter without Edward. Rosalie and Emmett bickered more than usual, until Jasper and I could barely stand to be around them. Esme moped around the house, re-cleaning perfectly clean surfaces and cleaning them again. Carlisle was barely there, working as many shifts at the hospital as he could get away with. The piano, usually alive with music from sundown to morning, lay dead and quiet. School seemed even more pointless without my favorite brother at my side. Even Jasper couldn't make me feel better.

Of course I was used to worrying about Edward. He had a way of forcing a smile that could fool a person into believing he was happy. But the whole family knew that inside Edward was miserable. Esme believed it was because he didn't have a mate, while Carlisle worried he had turned him too young. Whatever the reason, Edward was always brooding and sullen. If he had been human, I would call it depression. He barely seemed to enjoy anything, and only seemed to exist for existence's sake. So the family was used to worrying about Edward, being careful to not flaunt their happiness in his face, and to mold their lives a bit around his.

But this was a whole new kind of worry. I had never experienced anything quite like this. I had never been away from my brother for such an extended period of time, and I did not like it at all. I tried to keep my mind open for visions of what he would decide to do, but he kept changing his mind. I saw him travelling to Moscow, coming home, moving to Paris, visiting the northern territories, coming home… He couldn't make up his mind. It was dizzying for me. I was so focused on Edward's future that I slipped into a vision in French class and almost got escorted to the nurse's office.

My thoughts at school also had a new focus: Isabella Swan. Or Bella, as everyone else seemed to call her. She seemed unusually popular considering she had attended the school for less than a week. Her name popped up in conversation fairly frequently, especially among the male population. Bella herself didn't seem to talk much. She seemed shy. Clumsy. Somewhat pretty, in a human way, but certainly not enough to explain why Edward would have focused on her enough to kill her. The more I focused on Bella Swan, the less sense of the whole mess I could make.

On Saturday night I was lying in bed, wrapped in Jasper's arms. He knew how tense I was, so he was sending me some calming emotion while kissing my temple. The result was blissful, and I just lay there with a huge smile on my face.

"Hey Jazz," I said.

"Yes, Gorgeous," he said as he moved his fingers along my thigh. That felt so good that I was almost distracted from my question.

"Do you think Edward is alright?"

Jasper sighed and pulled away from me a little. I pouted. "Honestly, Alice, you would know better than me. But if you're worried about it, I give you permission to look at his future again. Not that you need it," he muttered.

I rolled my eyes at him and focused my best on Edward. I could see him running through the snow, an intent look upon his face. He was intent on coming somewhere. He was coming home. He was coming home!

"Oh my god, Jazz!" I was so excited that I jumped out of his arms and did a strange little hop out of the bed. "Edward's coming home! He is, he is! For sure, this time! He is on his way home! He should be here by tonight!" I spun around in a circle and jumped a few times.

Jasper laughed at my exuberance and shared a smile with me at the good news. I ran through the house, shouting, "Edward's coming home!"

Around 4:37 the next morning we heard the sound of Carlisle's Mercedes pulling into the garage. Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, and I were all standing behind the front door, waiting for Edward to come in. It was like the world's worst surprise party, for he could surely hear all of our thoughts and knew we were waiting there. He opened the door and gave us a smile.

"Hello," he said. "Are you waiting for someone?"

I ran at him and gave him the fiercest hug of his life. It would have snapped a human's ribcage. He laughed and said, "Okay, okay, ease up Alice. I'm here, everything's okay."

He traded hugs with the rest of the family. Esme's hug lasted a long time, and she was clearly thinking a lot at him. Even Rose allowed Edward to give her a hug. When all the greetings were done and we had all calmed down, we ushered Edward into the living room.

"So, Edward," Carlisle said. "How was Alaska?" The room grew a little more tense.

Edward shrugged. "It was fine. Refreshing. Everyone sends their love."

"Did you find it… helpful?" Esme asked, ever tactful.

"I did, Mom, thank you," Edward said. "It was just what I needed. I realized once I was there, that my place is with this family. Nothing should keep me from it. Certainly not some silly little girl, right?" I could see that Edward did not totally agree with what he was saying.

"Right!" Emmett said with a laugh.

"I fed a lot on the way down, so I am in no danger of risking the life we have made here," Edward said, looking at Carlisle.

"Son, it is not the life we are afraid of risking, but you." Carlisle frowned, taking in Edward's demeanor and surely also seeing that he didn't seem wholly convinced of what he was saying.

"Oh, I know," Edward said. "Now, catch me up on what has happened in my absence."


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: None of this is mine. It all belongs to Stephanie Meyer. Most of the story and dialogue comes from _Twilight _or _Midnight Sun_. Thanks for reading! Please leave a review!

Chapter 3

It snowed the next morning. My whole family was delighted. There is nothing like snow to transform your usual surroundings into something completely different and beautiful. In the morning Emmett and Jasper had pounded each other with snowballs, while Edward had stood on with a distracted look on his face. When Rosalie had threatened to castrate anyone who damaged her new dress, the snowball fight came to an end. But there was still a feeling of delight and silliness among most of our group that morning. That all came to an end around lunchtime. I was anxious about Edward spending any time around the Swan girl, let alone spending an entire Biology period sitting right next to her. I focused on the future as we walked into the cafeteria in a group, with Rosalie and Emmett leading the way and Jasper guiding me with one hand under my elbow.

"It's going to be okay," I said. It's a good thing Jasper was guiding me, because my focus was entirely on the future and not on what was in front of me.

"Of course it is," said Edward, sounding irritated.

Well, let him be irritated. This was for his own protection, as much as ours.

I could see everything that was about to happen, down to the fly that was going to land in Mike Newton's pudding in fifteen seconds. "She's not here yet, but the way she's going to come in…" I focused extra hard. "She won't be downwind if we sit in our regular spot."

"_Of course _we'll sit in our regular spot. Stop it, Alice. You're getting on my nerves. I'll be absolutely fine."

I blinked once as I was helped into my seat by Jasper, and then I came back into the present. I focused on Edward's face, noting the calm and reserve there. "Hmm," I said. "I think you're right."

"Of course I am," Edward said in an irritated tone of voice. I knew he was frustrated that we were so worried about him, but tough love.

I focused on the conversations around us. Since the future was not giving me any clues, maybe the present would. I hated resorting to such silly mundane measures, but it would have to do. I focused my ears on the group of jocks at the table next to ours.

"And I swear, the girl was bent over, on her hands and knees…"

Okay, so maybe I would not have to listen to _all_ the conversations. Clearly they were not talking about the Cullens. I moved on to the next table of younger looking girls, scanning their conversation, which seemed to be about make-up. Nope, not about the Cullens.

"Anything new?" Jasper asked.

Edward paused and then said, "Nothing." His voice sounded incredulous. "She… must not have said anything."

All of us raised eyebrows at Edward in shock.

"Maybe you're not as scary as you think you are," Emmett said with a laugh. "I bet I could have frightened her better than _that_."

Edward rolled his eyes.

Emmett said, "Wonder why…?"

"We've been over that," Edward answered. "I don't _know_."

"She's coming in," I said quietly. I noticed Edward go stiff, even if a moment later he tried to hide it. "Try and look human."

Emmett said, "Human, you say?" with a mischievous grin.

He held up the snowball he had saved in his palm. He had his eyes set on Jasper, but of course I could tell the future. So when he hurled the ice chunk at me suddenly, I flicked it away with my lunch tray. The ice flung across the cafeteria so quickly the humans couldn't see it see it and shattered so deeply that the brick also cracked.

All the heads on that side of the cafeteria turned to stare at the ice and brick that suddenly lay on the floor. They twisted their heads around to find who could have caused it. Of course, no one looked at us.

"Very human, Emmett," Rosalie said in a mocking voice. "Why don't you punch through the wall while you're at it?"

Emmett laughed. "It would look more impressive if you did it, baby," he said, and then leaned down and kissed Rosalie on the neck.

Man, I was glad I could not read Emmett's mind. Poor Edward. I could only imagine the kinds of dirty things he had to overhear in Emmett's head.

I kept one part of my mind on my siblings' chatter and one part on the future, making sure that Edward wasn't going to do anything stupid. He seemed in control right now, if a little distant. And then I felt that yank in my stomach and my vision went black and I had a vision.

This one was really short.

_She's gonna look soon, _I thought to Edward. I elbowed him. _Act human._

Edward gave a grin that looked painfully forced.

"Ease up, Edward," Emmett said. "Honestly. So you kill one human. That's hardly the end of the world."

I gave a disapproving look at Emmett and Edward said, "You would know."

I got another vision then, and I knew that Bella Swan was about to look over to our group. Dimly as I was coming out of the blackness I heard Emmett laugh and say, "You've got to learn to get over things. Like I do. Eternity is a long time to wallow in guilt."

I wanted to make sure we looked like regular teenagers, just enjoying a snowy afternoon. So I timed it just when Bella looked over I tossed a small handful of ice into Emmett's face.

"You asked for it," he said as he leaned across the table and shook his hair, which was covered in snow, flew out in all directions.

"Ew!" cried Rose as I tried to hide behind my lunch tray. I laughed and everyone joined in.

Perfect timing. As almost always.

My family really needed to rely on my talents less. As what happened last week proved, I am less than invulnerable. I make mistakes. The future changes, people change their minds, and one small action can have unforeseen large consequences. I always worry that my family will rely on me too much, and that I will miss something really important. Then it will be my fault when something horrible happens.

The rest of the lunch period passes as Rosalie and Emmett flirt, Edward stares into space, and Jasper holds my hand while I sift through the future. When the bell rings we all stay seated, staring at Edward. _What are you going to do? _I think to him.

I look into the future and try and focus hard on both Edward and Bella Swan. I don't really see anything. Just a Biology class, some snippets of a conversation, a blush on Bella Swan's cheeks. "I… _think _it's okay," I say hesitantly. "Your mind is set. I _think _you'll make it through the hour." _That is, if you don't change your mind._

"Why push it, Edward?" Jasper said. I wanted to elbow Jasper when I heard the smug tone in his voice. "Go home. Take it slow."

"What's the big deal?" Emmett had to disagree. "Either he will or he won't kill her. Might as well get it over with, either way."

"I don't want to move yet," Rose said with a whine. "I don't want to start over." She stamped her foot in frustration. "We're almost out of high school, Emmett. _Finally_."

I focused again on the future, noticing how Bella Swan was becoming clearer, her hair becoming more lustrous. I could see more than just her face now. I could see her hands moving as she explained something, her toes tapping in nervousness.

"No, Rose, I think it really will be okay," I said. "It's… firming up. I'm ninety-three percent sure that nothing bad will happen if he goes to class." I looked over at Edward. _What changed? _I asked him. _And are you sure?_

"Go to class," Edward ordered. He got up and walked to Biology. _Good luck, _I thought at him with worry and I went to Art.

I was spaced out all throughout class. I'm sure I almost got sent to the nurse again. I was too focused on the future to care. Of course, I didn't only see Edward. I saw trends in the stock market, a typhoon in Malasia, a fire in San Francisco, a new line of purses that looked absolutely adorable… But mostly I saw Edward and Bella Swan. I saw them exchanging names, which seemed to be an awkward but alright exchange. I almost jumped out of my chair when I saw Edward refill his supply of air for the first time. It gave him a new whiff of her scent, and for a second I had a vision of children running screaming from the Biology classroom as Edward drank the life's blood of Bella Swan. However, it was soon replaced by a vision of Edward and Bella Swan working together on a lab project cordially. I breathed a sigh of relief.

The next jerk of my stomach and blackening of my sight gave me a vision of Edward giving Bella Swan his cocky expression, the one that always makes me want to beat it right off his face. "Do you mind if I look?" he will say, and accidentally brush her hand with his.

_Too close_, I thought, but by the time I think it the act will have already passed. And luckily Edward will be okay.

Next I see her asking, "Did you get contacts?" And Edward will say, "No," and laugh.

She will then say, "Oh. I thought there was something different about your eyes."

_Too observant, _I think. She's too observant, this Swan girl who could be the ruin of my family.

I was interrupted from my future-gazing when Mrs. Writkoff came over and gushed about my work. We had to talk for ten whole minutes about my great use of line, and form, and shadow. The whole time I was just agreeing with her so I could get back to checking on Edward.

By the time we were done the class period was almost over. I checked in on Edward and Bella Swan one more time and saw Edward flash the Swan girl a smile complete with all of his teeth. Instead of shrinking away, as she surely should have, she seems entranced.

I painted for a few more minutes, waiting. Just as I was about to breathe a sigh of relief I received one last vision. I saw Bella Swan toss her brown hair back just as Edward breathes in. Edward breathes in Bella's scent. Suddenly he springs into a crouch. Then he lunges at her with twice the speed of a cheetah. He breaks her neck over his knee. People begin to scream as he drinks her blood.

I jumped up out of my seat and grabbed my book bag. "Bathroom," I said quickly to Mrs. Writkoff and walked out of the room. I walked swiftly over to the science wing, almost daring to run at full speed. When I am nearly there though, I get another vision. This time I see Bella Swan leaving the Biology room with a silly grin on her face as she chats to Mike Newton.

I stopped and sighed. Thank god. He changed his mind. I spun around just as the bell rang and made my way to English class. We were still talking about _Wuthering Heights_, and I wished we were studying something I needed to pay more attention to. Instead of focusing on my classmates butcher reading the story aloud, I drew a necklace I might try and commission as a gift for Esme. This took up most of the period. Suddenly I was swept up in a vision of Edward. However, the vision wasn't clear. It was hazy and cloudy. I could barely make it out. There seemed to be someone else there with him, but beyond the fact that she was female I could not tell who it was or what they were doing. I came out of the vision and sighed. How frustrating. I had learned absolutely nothing. I continued drawing and had just finished when the final bell of the day rang.

I felt utter relief to finally escape.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Notes: None of this belongs to me. The world and the characters belong to Stephanie Meyer; I am just playing in it. Most of the story comes from _Twilight _or _Midnight Sun_. Thank you for reading. Please review!

Chapter 4

That evening, I sat in my room online shopping while Jasper practiced his fiddle. It was truly relaxing. I could hear Rosalie working on the Volvo down in the garage while Emmett sat and chatted with her. For all of their faults, the two of them really did fit well together, I thought. Carlisle was hunting with Edward, and Esme was reading a book. My family was whole and at peace again.

I felt a jerk in the pit of my stomach and my vision began to sparkle and then go black. Although it was a bit blurry, I saw Edward leaving a note on the dining room table. I saw him taking the Volvo and driving away in the middle of the night. I saw him switching from one freeway to the next, meandering across the country.

"Hmph!" I said. I clicked buy on the Gucci sandals I had been looking at and then jumped down out of my chair.

"What?" Jasper asked, putting down his bow.

"Edward," I growled.

He shrugged and went back to his fiddling. I went upstairs and waited for Edward to return home.

It only took a few minutes. _You're leaving again_, I thought to him as he came up the stairs.

Edward looked away, then looked back at me and nodded.

I frowned at him. _I can't see where you're going this time._

"I don't know where I'm going yet," he whispered.

I pouted at him. _I want you to stay._

Edward shook his head.

_Maybe Jazz and I could come with you?_

"They'll need you all the more, if I'm not here to watch out for them. And think of Esme. Would you take half her family away in one blow?"

_You're going to make her so sad. _I don't need to be psychic to know this.

"I know," he says. "That's why you have to stay."

_That's not the same as having you here, and you know it._

"Yes. But I have to do what's right."

_There are many right ways, and many wrong ways, though, aren't there?_ My stomach yanked to the left as I was caught up in a vision. I could tell that Edward was watching with me as another indistinct and cloudy vision occurred. I saw Edward in a small bright meadow. There was someone else with him, but once again I could not make out whom it was among the dark and swirling mists. The vision shattered.

"I didn't catch much of that," Edward said.

_Me either. Your future is shifting around so much I can't keep up with any of it. I _think, _though… _I stopped, and went through my head and noted how many of my other recent visions of Edward had been hazy and blurry.

"I _think _something is changing, though. Your life seems to be at a crossroads."

Edward laughed a laugh without humor. "You do realize that you sound like a bog gypsy at a carnival now, right?"

I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Today is all right, though, isn't it?" he asked, sounding anxious.

"I don't see you killing anyone today," I said with a smile.

"Thanks, Alice."

"Go get dressed. I won't say anything- I'll let you tell the others when you're ready." I stood and ran down the stairs, trying to hug myself. _Miss you. Really_, I thought to him, knowing he could hear my thoughts. Wondering if today would be the last time.

I hate keeping secrets. I especially hate keeping secrets from Jasper, who is extremely good at making someone feel that they want to spill their guts. It always feels as if I am betraying my partner. Plus, the idea of Edward going away again, this time for good, sounded incredibly awful. So I was not in the best of moods on the way to school the next morning. I don't know what was wrong with everyone else (except Edward, whose problem, I assumed, was Bella Swan), but everyone seemed particularly grumpy. It was a long morning.

Once we arrived everyone else quickly dispersed except Edward and I. I wanted to savor the last few moments I had with my favorite brother, even if it was in purgatory. But Edward, of course, wasn't paying any attention to me. He was staring at Bella Swan, at least eight cars down the parking lot. I sighed and began sifting through the future. I wanted to make sure Edward would be all right today with this strange human girl he couldn't seem to stay away from. At first I saw nothing wrong: a couple of conversations, Edward laughing (laughing! My brother, laughing!), Edward keeping his physical distance from her. All seem-

Suddenly the future changed. "No!" I cried out, unaware I had made a sound. I saw Tyler Crowley's van speeding into the parking lot at just the wrong angle to hit a patch of ice that would send him speeding into Bella Swan. The van would crush the girl between the two vehicles, breaking most of her bones and spilling much of her blood. Edward would not be able to resist the smell of her blood, so fresh and pure, spread everywhere around him and he would panic. He would go into hunting mode and run towards Bella's body at lightning speed, drinking the rest of her blood as the life drained out of her eyes. Then he would turn to the humans who were too horrified to run away, picking off the slow ones as the children of Forks screamed in terror.

All of a sudden the future shifted again. Almost too fast for a vampire to see, Edward will run in front of the speeding van and catch Bella's waist. He will jerk her to the ground roughly, knocking her head against the concrete while stopping the van's trajectory. However, the van will then keep moving, spinning out towards Bella Swan's legs. Edward will swear as he lifts the van up and slides the girl's legs out of the way and then places the van back down. All of this will happen in the space of two seconds.

I come out of my vision just in time to see Edward approaching the van. It all happened just like I saw it would, down to the way the windows shattered and created an eight-colored rainbow as they fell and caught the light. I knew I was the only one in the parking lot who could have seen everything that just happened. It all went too fast for the average human to witness. But that didn't mean that I was not _freaking out _that Edward just did that. Surrounded by witnesses. What was he _thinking_?

Oh. Right. He wasn't thinking.

As I begin ranting at Edward in my head, the humans begin to scream in terror. "Someone call 911!" "Oh my god!" "Are they okay? Is Tyler? Is Bella?" Dozens of people swarmed the crash, peering inside the little nest caused by the two vehicles.

I felt a hand crash down on my shoulder with too much force. "What happened Alice?" Emmett asked in a tight voice. I turned my head slightly to see that Rosalie and Jasper were standing behind me.

I explained my series of visions and Edward's rash response in a trill that was way too fast for any humans to hear. In fact, if anyone were to look at me they might not be able to tell that I was moving my lips at all. As I told the story I felt Emmett's hand on my shoulder grow tighter and tighter in anger. Jasper seemed to be unconsciously radiating disapproval and rage, to the point where any open-mindedness I had experienced a few minutes before was gone. I could only imagine what Rosalie was thinking about all this.

I searched through the current future as best as I could, but it seemed at the moment my family was safe. I saw no search parties out to hunt us down, no suspicious conversations about the Cullens and the Hales. I breathed a sigh of relief as the emergency responders arrived at the scene.

"I think it will be okay," I said quickly to my brothers and sister.

"Okay," Rosalie hissed from behind me. "You think this will be okay?"

While the humans were busy medically attending to Miss Swan, we noticed Edward attempting to rearrange the dents in the car so that they were not so obviously caused by something humanoid.

"I'll help him with that later," murmured Emmett.

"Of course you will," Rosalie said as she stormed away to class. I stood there until I saw Edward get in the front seat of the ambulance and drive off.

"It will be okay, darling," Jasper said and grabbed my hands.

"Alright people, alright people, move along. It's time to go to class. You can visit the wounded at lunchtime," the Principal said as he walked along the Parking Lot.

Once the Principal had shooed a few students into class and then went back into his office, people began setting up carpools to go to the hospital. Mike Newton managed to fit nine people in his Honda.

"Let's go to class," I said with a disapproving shake of my head to Jazz. We walked away.

The rest of the day was hell. Edward was gone until almost lunch. The whole time he was gone I was desperately searching the future, trying to find out if his stunt that morning had caused our family any danger, trying to see if we would need to move again. Rosalie was convinced that we shouldn't even wait to find out, that Edward had just ruined her life and that we should just pack up and go. Emmett was annoyed but seemed to have forgiven Edward already. Yet he agreed with Jasper that something needed to be done. Jasper scared me so much when he revealed his plan.

"It's simple," he said, as if he was merely talking about Math homework or a television show. "All of the problems with Edward started once he encountered this Bella Swan girl, right? So all we have to do is eliminate Bella Swan."

Nothing I could say would convince Jasper that his plan was a reckless endangerment of human life. In some ways Jasper still just doesn't see humans the same way as the rest of us do.

Once Edward arrived back at school I tried to do everything I could do to keep Jasper and Edward separate. I did not want the inevitable explosion that would occur when they came together to occur around a bunch of innocent humans.

I was sorting through visions, trying to make sure that Edward and Jasper would not have an altercation at school, when a new vision grabbed me with that familiar pull. I allowed it to make my vision go black, and then suddenly I was gazing upon a strange and miraculous but clear image: I was smiling and my arm was around Bella Swan's neck. Bella's arm was around my waist, and she was smiling at me in the way only friends smile. I couldn't tell when or where the image would occur. It was not specific. However, I just knew it would occur.

I pondered the vision all day. Bella and I, friends? It seemed strange and impossible. I had never really had a close friend, let alone a human friend. But this future I was sure of. It would come to pass. A warm feeling lit up where my non-beating heart lay whenever I thought of the vision of the two of us smiling at each other. But of course, Bella might not stay human for long. I saw that clearly. I saw some day far in the future, Bella and I hunting together, her laughing as I said, "Race you!"

Bella had only a few options for her future now: death, vampirism, or mortality. And of the three available paths for her future, mortality seemed the most fuzzy and least likely of the options.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Notes: None of this belongs to me. The story and characters belong to Stephanie Meyer; I just play with them. I took most of the dialogue and plot from _Twilight _and _Midnight Sun_. Thank you for reading. Please review! It would mean so much to me.

Chapter 5

I didn't share the vision with anyone else for the rest of the school day. It seemed too personal. Plus Jasper was too wrapped up in his own planning of how he was going to eliminate the problem of Bella Swan, Rosalie was too worried about how everything was going to affect her, and Emmett was just looking for the simplest answer. Me being friends with a human was definitely _not_ the simplest answer.

When the final bell rang, I felt almost nervous as I walked to Edward's Volvo. I knew the atmosphere at the house would be extremely tense. Sure enough, no one spoke on the drive home. I didn't try to break the ice because I was so worried about Edward and Jasper getting into a fight about Bella. Every angle that I saw Jasper attacking Bella from, I saw Edward coming to Bella's protection. I did not want the two of them to fight. My only solution lay in… But I realized Edward was listening to my thoughts, and using them to counter Jasper's future attacks.

_Stop that Edward! _I thought to him. _It can't happen this way. I won't let it._

There was no response, but I wasn't expecting one. So I searched even deeper into the future. Everything was unsure and vague. I explored this murky area the whole ride home.

All five of us filed into the dining room. It would be convenient for this fight. Carlisle was already seated at the eastern-most chair, at the head of the table. Esme was holding hands and sitting right next to him. She was looking at Edward intently.

Edward sat down on Carlisle's other side. Esme reached out and put her free hand on Edward's shoulder.

Carlisle looked worried. He did not like to see our family being split up into opposing sides.

Rosalie sat down across from Carlisle, in the western-most chair. She glared at Edward. Emmett, of course, sat next to Rosalie. He looked vaguely amused.

Jasper looked uncertain and then went to stand behind Rose. The discussion didn't matter much to him. He was already decided.

I walked in last, focused on the future. I wanted to see how the debate would go. I did not like what I saw. I sat down next to Esme and rubbed my forehead.

Edward took a deep breath and then said, "I'm sorry." He looked at Rosalie, then Jasper, and then Emmett. "I didn't mean to put any of you at risk. It was thoughtless, and I take full responsibility for my hasty action." His voice rang with sincerity.

Rosalie glared at him. "What do you mean, 'take full responsibility'? Are you going to fix it?"

"Not the way you mean," he said. "I'm willing to leave now, if that makes things better."

"No," Esme said quietly. "No, Edward." I could see the distress on her face, and I placed a hand on her knee.

Edward patted her hand dismissively. "It's just a few years."

Emmett said, "Esme's right, though. You can't go anywhere now. That would be the _opposite _of helpful. We have to know what people are thinking, now more than ever."

"Alice will catch anything major," Edward said. I felt a knot in my stomach twist with anxiety at that sort of pressure.

Carlisle shook his head. "I think Emmett is right, Edward. The girl will be more likely to talk if you disappear. It's all of us leave, or none of us."

"She won't say anything." Edward seemed awfully sure of that for some reason.

"You don't know her mind," Carlisle said.

"I know this much," Edward countered. "Alice, back me up."

I felt exhausted. I stared at him as if out of a fog. "I can't see what will happen if we just ignore this." I jerked my head toward Rosalie and Jasper.

Rose slapped the table with a bang. "We can't allow the human a chance to say anything. Carlisle, you _must _see that. Even if we decided to all disappear, it's not safe to leave stories behind us. We live so differently from the rest of our kind- you know there are those who would love an excuse to point fingers. We have to be more careful than anyone else!"

"We've left rumors behind us before," Edward said pointedly.

"Just rumors and suspicions, Edward."

I tuned out their bickering. I knew how it would go. I rubbed my head and looked into the future, searching for more possibilities of how this fight could be resolved and if there was any danger coming.

I came to and heard Carlisle say, "I know you mean well, Rosalie, but… I'd like very much for our family to be _worth _protecting. The occasional… accident or lapse in control is a regrettable part of who we are. To murder a blameless child in cold blood is another thing entirely. I believe the risk she presents, whether she speaks her suspicions or not, is nothing to the greater risk. If we make exceptions to protect ourselves, we risk something much more important. We risk losing the essence of who we are."

Sometimes, like now, Carlisle awed me. He seemed too wise and wonderful to truly exist. I felt blessed to know him and to have him be a part of my life. I hoped Rosalie did too.

Although considering her current scowl, probably not. "It's just being responsible," she said.

"It's being callous," Carlisle said. "Every life is precious."

Rosalie sighed and gave a big scowl, a look no one but Emmett found attractive.

"It'll be fine, Rose," Emmett said quietly.

"The question is whether we should move on?" Carlisle said.

"No," Rosalie pouted. "We just got settled. I don't want to start on my sophomore year in high school again!"

I tuned Rosalie out. I knew what, or rather, who the real problem was. Jasper still had not changed his mind from before. He still believed he needed to eliminate Bella.

"Jasper," Edward said.

Jasper met Edward's gaze.

"She won't pay for my mistake. I won't allow that."

"She benefits from it, then? She should have died today, Edward. I would only set that right."

Edward frowned and repeated slowly, "I will not allow it."

Jasper shook his head. "I won't let Alice live in danger, even a slight danger. You don't feel about anyone the way I feel about her, Edward, and you haven't lived through what I've lived through, whether you've seen my memories or not. You don't understand."

"I'm not disputing that, Jasper. But I'm telling you now, I won't allow you to hurt Isabella Swan."

I felt touched by Jasper's protection, but also annoyed by his pigheadedness. "Jazz," I said.

When he looked at me he said, "Don't bother telling me you can protect yourself, Alice. I already know that. I've still got to-"

"That's not what I'm going to say," I interrupted. "I was going to ask you for a favor."

Edward must have read my mind because his mouth dropped open in shock.

"I know you love me. Thanks. But I would really appreciate it if you didn't try to kill Bella. First of all, Edward's serious and I don't want you two fighting. Secondly, she's my friend. At least, she's _going _to be."

"But… Alice…" Jasper gaped, stunned. I could tell that Edward was still fixated on my mind, reading my vision of Bella and me.

"I'm going to love her someday, Jazz. I'll be very put out with you if you don't let her be."

The future changed once again, to a minute degree, as Jasper's mind changed just a little bit.

"Ah," I said. "See? Bella's not going to say anything. There's nothing to worry about."

"Alice," Edward said, and his voice sounded as if it was being pushed out through heavy presses. "What… does this…?"

I anxiously tried to hide what I had seen earlier, the vision of Bella and I running in the forest. I knew Edward would blow his lid at the idea of Bella not being human. "I told you there was a change coming. I don't know, Edward."  
"What, Alice? What are you hiding?" Edward said suspiciously. Emmett grumbled, irritated that he only understood half the conversation.

I shook my head, desperately focusing on the way Jasper's decision was not set in stone, and wondering what I would have to do to change his mind.

"Is it about the girl?" Edward asked. "Is it about Bella?"

I ground my teeth together, concentrating extremely hard, but when Edward said Bella's name it was all over. My mind slipped to the image of immortal Bella, sparkling in the sun as she laughed.

"NO!" Edward shouted and jumped to his feet.

"Edward!" Carlisle stood up and put his arm around Edward's shoulder.

"It's solidifying," I whispered. "Every minute you're more decided. There're really only two ways left for her. It's one or the other, Edward."

"No," Edward said, but he did not sound sure.

"Will somebody _please _let the rest of us in on the mystery?" Emmett whined.

"I have to leave," Edward whispered.

"Edward, we've already been over that," Emmett said as if talking to someone stupid. "That's the best way to start the girl talking. Besides, if you take off, we won't know for sure if she's talking or not. You have to stay and deal with this."

I looked into the future. "I don't see you going anywhere, Edward. I don't know if you _can _leave anymore." _Think about it, _I thought to him. _Think about leaving. I'm not entirely sure of Jasper, Edward. If you leave, if he thinks she's a danger to us…_

"I don't hear that," Edward said.

_Not right this moment, _I thought back. _Will you risk her life, leave her undefended?_

"Why are you doing this to me?" Edward said and put his face in his hands.

I told the truth. _I love her, too. Or I will. It's not the same, but I want her around for that._

"Love her, _too?" _Edward whispered.

_You are _so _blind, Edward. _I rolled my eyes. _Can't you see where you're headed? Can't you see where you already are? It's more inevitable than the sun rising in the east. See what I see… _I showed him a vision of Bella and Edward kissing in the rain, Edward leaning over Bella to make a protective curtain with his body.

Edward shook his head, his eyes wide and horrified. "No. I don't have to follow that course. I'll leave. I _will _change the future."

"You can try," I said, my voice sounding extremely doubtful.

"Oh _come on_!" Emmett said loudly.

"Pay attention," Rosalie said. "Alice sees him falling for a _human_! How classically Edward!" She pretended to gag.

"What?" Emmett said, and then laughed. "Is that what's been going on?" He laughed and laughed. "Tough break, Edward." He reached out to put a hand on Edward's shoulder, but Edward shook it off.

"_Fall _for a human?" Esme sounded shocked. "For the girl he saved today? Fall in _love _with her?"

"What do you see, Alice? Exactly?" Jasper asked.

I turned to Jasper. When I looked into the future, I spoke to him. "It all depends on whether he is strong enough or not. Either he'll kill her himself," I turned to face Edward," which would _really _irritate me, Edward, not to mention what it would do to _you-"_ I turned to Jasper again, "or she'll be one of us someday."

Esme gasped. Edward shouted, "That's not going to happen! Either one!"

"It all depends," I said, just stating what I saw in the future. "He may be just strong enough not to kill her- but it will be close. It will take an amazing amount of control. More even than Carlisle has. He may be _just _strong enough… The only thing he's not strong enough to do is stay away from her. That's a lost cause."

Everyone stared at me, looking plainly horrified. If I didn't know better, I would say Edward was going to be sick.

"Well, this… complicates things," Carlisle said with a sigh. He rubbed the bridge of his nose with one hand.

"I'll say," Emmett said, but he didn't sound as if he was taking the situation very seriously. Indeed, he sounded as if he was close to laughter again.

Carlisle said, "I suppose the plans remain the same, though. We'll stay, and watch. Obviously, no one will… hurt the girl," he said delicately.

Beside me, Edward became as still as a statue.

"No," Jasper said. "I can agree to that. If Alice sees only two ways-"

"No!" Edward shouted again. "No!" He ran out of the room. Esme reached out to touch his arm, but he did not stop.

"Alice?" Carlisle asked.

I paused for a moment, seeing Edward sulking out in the rain. "He'll be fine," I said and sighed. "He just needs some time."


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Notes: None of this is mine. All credit goes to Stephanie Meyer. This is her world, I'm just playing in it. Most dialogue and plot comes from _Twilight _or _Midnight Sun._ Thank you for reading. Please review! It would seriously make my day.

P.S. If three people review today, I will post another chapter later this evening. I would just like to know if people are reading.

Chapter 6

The next month was a grueling test of my family's endurance.

Edward had decided that he could change my vision, and he was determined to stay away from Bella. This was utter folly. It was his own decisions and desires that were driving the future to crystallize every day into those two inevitable paths. The more he resisted, the more he wanted. He lived like a ghost at our side, barely speaking, barely interacting. He played his part at school to the best of his abilities, which is to say that he spoke few words to any of us all day. Than every night he would take off running. My visions of him saw him running past Spokane, up to Seattle, to Washington's border…

It was killing Esme. Carlisle told her to give Edward his space, so Esme took it out on the house- rearranging the furniture over and over again and dusting spotless surfaces. Even to my vampire senses, I had never seen a house this clean. Carlisle coped by doing more research about human blood. Emmett stopped laughing. Rosalie grew even snippier than usual. Jasper spent all his time with me. And I- I grew frustrated. I wanted the friendship I saw in my visions, and Edward's stubbornness was keeping me from it. I also didn't know how else to respond when watching someone I loved disappearing before my very eyes.

"Just talk to her, Edward," I said to him a month after our family's argument.

"I won't damn her, Alice. She deserves a normal, mortal life. If there is even a chance that I could kill her, I cannot take it." His mouth was set in a firm line, and his eyes were flashing the way they do when he is about to explode.

_But what about you? _I thought to him. _What about your chance?_ I walked out of his room, leaving him to brood.

The next day Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett, Edward, and I were sitting at our usual table, toying with our food. I was looking into the future to see whether my purse would arrive today and suddenly felt a different vision overtake me.

"Bella's going to stare at Edward in a minute. Look normal," I said. We all made sure to fidget and chat together.

This was only one of many times that I had to warn my family that Bella was going to look over at Edward. It was encouraging, in a way. It told me that she wanted Edward as much as he wanted Bella. If only he wasn't so stubborn. He refused to see it for what it meant, though. He claimed Bella was just entertaining idle curiosity or vague indifference. _Foolish boy._

_I wish…_

"Stay out of it, Alice," Edward said under his breath. "It's not going to happen."

I pouted. I thought for the millionth time of the vision of Bella's arm around my waist. _I'll admit, you're better than I thought. You've got the future all snarled up and senseless again. I hope you're happy._

Edward gave a grim smile. "It makes plenty of sense to me."

I gave a derisive snort.

It was true. Whenever I tried to look into Bella or Edward's future, it was back to being hazy and cloudy.

I gave Jasper's hand a squeeze and then walked away, sick of my frustrating brother. I decided to go to art early. Today we were painting portraits, and I was actually having fun with my portrait of Esme. It was to be a present for Carlisle. I became so engrossed in painting that I barely noticed when the bell rang and other students filled the other easels around me. But then I felt a yank in the pit of my stomach and everything went dark. I sighed and allowed the vision to overtake me. Except it wasn't a vision at all. It was a mix of possibles and could-be's, with Edward's face in the middle. He was coming to a decision, something huge, which was changing the entire course of his life. The future was swirling in a cloud of black and purple mist around Edward's face. I could see his brows furrowed in concentration as he thought hard about his decision. And then in a burst of sparks I saw Bella's face, and I knew he had made up his mind.

I came out of my vision with a huge smile on my face. He was going to talk to her after class. He was going to talk to her after class! I felt like jumping up and down for joy, but remembered that I was in class, so I contented myself with smiling like a lunatic.

I made sure to pack up all of my things early, so that right when the bell rang I was out of class. I walked toward the science wing as quickly as I dared, using my vampiric hearing to pick out Edward's voice.

"I'm sorry," he was saying. "I'm being very rude, I know. But it's better this way, really."

A quiet, frosty voice answered, "I don't know what you mean."

I looked around me and made sure that no one was around before I crouched behind a bush, grimacing as I thought of the damage that might be done to my Manolo Blahniks. "It's better if we're not friends," I heard Edward say. "Trust me."

"It's too bad you didn't figure that out earlier. You could have saved yourself all this regret," Bella said, and she sounded angry.

"Regret? Regret for what?" Edward sounded confused.

"For not just letting that stupid van squish me!"

There was a long pause. I put my face in my palm. So much for my vision. So much for my hopes that today would be the day that Bella and Edward would begin talking. I knew my brother's temper, and I knew this would not likely go over well.

"You think I regret saving your life?" Edward asked.

"I _know _you do," she said.

Edward hissed, "You don't know anything."

I heard a quiet slam, and then a crash. I knew it was time to leave, before Edward heard my thoughts and knew I was eavesdropping. I quickly walked out from behind the bush, ignoring the strange looks I received from two boys wearing baseball caps. I smiled at them and walked to English class quickly, feeling grim.

I spend English avoiding the future. I'm disappointed with it. But unfortunately my gift doesn't give me much choice. In the middle of my day dream over kissing every one of Jasper's scars when I am interrupted by another vision of Bella's two paths: death by Edward or immortality. Her future is hazy and fuzzy, but each path looks equally possible.

When school let out I was absolutely relieved. I walked to the car, but before I get there I see Rosalie and Emmett standing on the sidewalk.

"Hey guys. What are we waiting for?"

"Edward told us to wait here," Rosalie said and flipped her hair. She looked angry, as usual.

I saw Edward sitting in the Volvo, which he has reversed out into the lane, blocking the flow of traffic. Including, I see, a certain brunette driving a rusty red pick-up truck.

When Jasper walks up to us I say, "Come on, let's go. But slowly." We leisurely walk toward the Volvo, staring at Edward.

"What is the kid doing?" Emmett asks, looking at Edward.

I see the Crowley child get out of his car and walk up to Bella. Rosalie looks at the car behind Edward's. "He's flirting," she says in a disgusted tone of voice.

We opened the car doors and get in, only to find Edward busting up with laughter. If he could have cried with amusement, tears would have been streaming down his face. Jasper gaped at Edward.

"Let's go!" Rosalie said. "Stop being an idiot. If you _can_."

Edward obeyed, and we sped out of school.

"So do I get to talk to Bella now?" I asked Edward.

"No," he said, all mirth gone from his voice.

"Not fair!" I whined. "What am I waiting for?"

"I haven't decided anything, Alice."

"Whatever, Edward." I showed him the vision I had in English, of Bella's two possible destinies.

"What's the point in getting to know her? If I'm just going to kill her?" Edward said sadly.

I paused, not wanting to agree. "You have a point."

Edward sped up, going close to ninety miles an hour as he curved along the driveway, and then jerked to a stop inside the garage.

"Enjoy your run," Rosalie said snottily as Edward jumped out of the car.

"Why do you have to do that, Rose?" I asked. She just shrugged and walked inside.

I sighed. "Come on, Jazz. Let's go do some homework."

Later that night I was lying in bed with Jasper. We were playing a game we liked. He would send me emotions of lust, and I would have to physically try to make him feel the exact same level of desire. It was fun and a bit challenging.

I was fulfilling my fantasy of kissing every one of his scars, slowly but surely, when I felt the pull of a new vision. "Jasper," I gasped before I was yanked into the future.

I saw Edward climbing the face of an unfamiliar house that looked to be in town, facing the forest to the east. I watched him pause outside an upstairs window, awe and disgust warring on his face. He must end up seeing something that convinces the disgust to disappear, because suddenly wonder and amusement fill his eyes.

Edward forces open the window, wincing a little when it groans and shrieks. He shakes his head at some errant thought (probably a prod from his self-conscious) and climbs into the room ever so quietly. He enters a small bedroom, and the room's tidy messiness makes the place feel homey. Papers, books, and CDs are placed in piles all over the floor and desk. But Edward barely spares these details a glance. He heads straight for the antique rocking chair in the corner, so that he can get a better glimpse of _her_.

Dark hair hanging across her pillow, pale face shining bright in the moonlight… Bella will look like the heroine in a fairy tale. And Edward, poor Edward, will be lost.

I have never seen a face like the one that will grace Edward's face in twenty-three minutes. Part devotion, part desperation, rounded off by self-hatred and despair.

"Edward," Bella will murmur then in her sleep.

Edward will freeze. His eyes will go wide.

Bella will turn over in her sleep, sighing, "Edward. Stay. Don't go. Please… Don't go."

A smile, bright as the sun in winter, will break out on Edward's face. The fire of determination will be lit in his eyes.

The future shifted, then. Things that were undone became done. My vision of Edward and a shadowy female figure became a crystalline image of Edward and Bella, gazing intently into each other's eyes. Instead of two morbid futures for Bella or a shadowy morass of possibilities, a new sunlit but shadowy path emerged.

I came to the present to find Jasper's hands on either side of my face.

"Alice? Alice?" he said.

My eyes focused on Jasper.

"Alice?" Jasper said and took in my mood. "What did you see?"

"Edward," I said and beamed.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Notes: Sorry it has taken me a few days to post! Life got in the way. But Alice told me something really horrible would happen to me if I didn't return to this story (convenient for her, no?), so here I am. As always, none of this is mine. _Twilight_, _Midnight Sun_, and their characters, and their dialogue belong to Stephanie Meyer. Please, please, please review! Please. And thanks for reading.

Chapter 7

Edward still wasn't home by the time the rest of us left for school the next morning.

"Where is Edward?" Rosalie asked with an annoyed shift of her hips.

"The kid's probably just out hunting," Emmett said, with his eyes on the exposed strip of skin between Rosalie's skirt and t-shirt. "Right, Alice?"

I smiled. "Something like that."

We drove to school. Edward arrived a few seconds after us, just as I knew he would.

"Oh, of course," Rosalie said as she saw Edward handing a golden key to Bella. She gave a little, "Hmph," and walked away.

"Babe," Emmett called and followed after her.

I started to crouch down behind a couple of cars so that I could eavesdrop again on Bella and Edward's conversation, but Jasper put a hand on my shoulder. "Alice, no."

"Oh, come on, Jasper," I said. "I just want to listen."

He shook his head.

I pouted. "Please?"

Jasper frowned lightly and said, "How would you like it if someone-"

"Yeah, yeah, you're right," I said, and we walked to my first class.

The rest of the morning passed fairly quickly. I attended all of my classes except Biology, which I skipped because today was the blood typing lab. I passed the hour normally spent in Biology sitting in the Volvo, listening to music and sifting through the future. I saw that Siobhan would be calling Carlisle sometime in the next couple of days to catch up. I saw that another storm was approaching Forks. And I saw that Edward, for the first time ever, would not be sitting with us at lunch today. I smiled at that, albeit a little nervously. I hoped he could control himself. I smiled knowingly at Edward in Gym, but he ignored me.

When lunch rolled around I met up with Jasper, Rose, and Emmett outside of the cafeteria.

"Edward will not be sitting with us today," I told them quickly.

Only Emmett allowed his confusion to show. "What? Why?"

I smiled. "He's sitting with a new friend."

We walked into the cafeteria in a group. I couldn't keep a huge smile off my face. I stared at Edward and thought, _Can I talk to Bella now?_

He frowned and muttered, "Keep out of it."

My smile fell. But then I quickly looked into the future, and saw that within a week or so I would be talking to Bella. I smiled again. _Fine. Be stubborn_, I thought to Edward. _It's only a matter of time._

I heard Edward sigh and I gave a devilish grin. _Don't forget about today's biology lab_.

The rest of my family grabbed food and then sat down at our normal table. Emmett and Rosalie began a quiet conversation about what a fool Edward was.

"Hello, gorgeous," Jasper said when we were seated. "How was your day?"

I smiled at him. "It was fine, love." I quickly looked back over at Edward, where I saw Bella had joined him.

Jasper started to say, "Did your History presenta-" but I shushed him.

"Quiet, I'm trying to hear," I said quietly and quickly.

I took a moment to be grateful for my super vampiric senses and focused on my brother's familiar voice among the hundred other voices in the cafeteria. I heard him say, "I decided as long as I was going to hell, I might as well do it thoroughly."

There was a long pause. I remembered to fidget with my food while I waited. Finally Bella's voice said, "You know I don't have any idea what you mean."

"I know," Edward said, and it sounded as if he was smiling.

I wished I could turn around and look at them, but I didn't want to draw undue attention to myself. Only luck and distraction could cause Edward to not know that I was eavesdropping on him, and I didn't want to give myself away.

"I think your friends are angry at me for stealing you."

"They'll survive," Bella said, and she sounded completely unconcerned.

"I may not give you back, though." I tensed when I heard that. Even knowing that Edward was kidding, his comments came a bit too close to revealing more than he should.

Edward laughed. "You look worried," he said.

"No," Bella replied. "Surprised, actually… What brought this on?"

"I told you," he said. "I got tired of trying to stay away from you. So I'm giving up."

I heard a disdainful snort, and I knew that Rosalie was listening to their conversation as well. Out of the corner of my eye I saw her turn to Emmett and begin to run her fingers along the side of his face, probably as a way to distract herself from Edward's conversation.

"Giving up?" Bella asked.

"Yes- giving up trying to be good. I'm just going to do what I want now, and let the chips fall where they may." Edward's voice sounded as if he was trying to be casual, but there was enough tension in his tenor tones to reveal the truth in his words.

"You lost me again," Bella admitted.

"I always say too much when I'm talking to you- that's one of the problems."

"Don't worry, I don't understand any of it." Bella said.

I smiled. Bella was so cute, so naïve. She truly had no idea what she was dealing with.

"I'm counting on that," Edward said.

"So, in plain English, are we friends now?" Bella asked.

There was a pause. "Friends…" Edward said. Even without having Edward's gift, I knew what was running through Edward's mind. He didn't want to be just friends with Bella. He wanted more.

"Or not," Bella said, and she sounded embarrassed.

"Well, we can try, I suppose," Edward said. "But I'm warning you now that I'm not a good friend for you."

"You say that a lot," Bella said.

"Yes, because you're not listening to me," Edward said, sounding severe. "I'm still waiting for you to believe it. If you're smart, you'll avoid me."

"I think you've made your opinion on the subject of my intellect clear, too," she said. There was a short pause, in which I felt as if I would die if I didn't turn around and look. "So, as long as I'm being… not smart, we'll try to be friends?"

"That sounds about right," Edward said.

Another pause. The many voices in the cafeteria continued their loud conversations.

"What are you thinking?" Edward asked.

"I'm trying to figure out what you are."

I froze. Not good. Not good, not good, not good. Bella Swan was much more perceptive than I had hoped.

"Are you having any luck with that?" Edward asked calmly.

"Not too much."

Edward laughed lightly. "What are your theories?" I could hear the burning importance in this question, even if Bella couldn't. When Bella was silent, Edward said, "Won't you tell me?"

"Too embarrassing."

"That's _really _frustrating, you know."

"No, I can't _imagine _why that would be frustrating at all- just because someone refuses to tell you what they're thinking, even if all the while they're making cryptic little remarks specifically designed to keep you up at night wondering what they could possibly mean… now, why would that be frustrating?"

A huge smile began to spread across my face. Finally, someone was giving it to Edward who he would actually listen to.

"Or better yet, say that person also did a wide range of bizarre things- from saving your life under impossible circumstances one day to treating you like a pariah the next, and he never explained any of that either, even after he promised. That, also, would be _very _non-frustrating." Bella delivered this speech in an irate tone of voice that I hoped Edward would actually listen to, and not brush off with one of his arrogant comments.

"You've got a bit of a temper, don't you?"

"I don't like double standards."

There was a long pause, and then suddenly Edward started to laugh.

"Alice, maybe you should mind your own-" Jasper started to say.

"Jazz, shh!" I said. I turned away from him to stare back at the wall and focus my hearing back on Bella and Edward.

"Aren't you hungry?" I heard Edward ask.

"No. You?"

"No, I'm not hungry," Edward said. I smiled. And a good thing, too.

"Could you do me a favor?" Bella asked.

"That depends on what you want," Edward replied warily.

"It's not much. I just wondered… If you could warn me beforehand the next time you decide to ignore me for my own good? Just so I'm prepared."

I clapped my hands lightly and so quickly that humans around us could not see the action. This request clearly must mean that Bella feels for Edward too!

"That sounds fair."

"Thanks," Bella said, sounding relieved.

"Then can I have one in return?"

"One."

"Tell me _one _theory."

"Not that one."  
"You didn't qualify, you just promised one answer," Edward said.

"And you've broken promises yourself," Bella responded.

"Just one theory- I won't laugh." I could hear the smile in Edward's voice.

"Yes, you will."

"Please?" Edward asked in a husky voice.

"Er, what?" Bella asked. She sounded dazed. I smiled. The effect my brother could have on some people.

"Please tell me just one little theory," Edward pleaded.

"Um, well, bitten by a radioactive spider?"

I laughed out loud. Despite his protestations that eavesdropping was rude, so did Jasper. We looked at each other and then chuckled some more.

"That's not very creative," Edward said.

"I'm sorry, that's all I've got," Bella said.

"You're not even close," Edward replied, with a teasing lilt to his voice. I frowned, not sure this conversation was a great idea.

"No spiders?"

"Nope."

"And no radioactivity?"

"None."

"Dang." I heard Bella sigh.

"Kryptonite doesn't bother me either."

I covered my smile with my mouth, but a giggle escaped.

"Come on, gorgeous," Jasper said. "We should head to class."

"Yes, all right," I said. I reluctantly stopped listening to Bella and Edward's conversation, leaving them sitting together as people filed out of the cafeteria.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Notes: Thank you for all the views and reviews! It means so much to me.

As always, none of this is mine. Alice and her play things belong to Stephanie Meyer. Most of the dialogue and plot come from _Twilight _and _Midnight Sun_.

Sorry for the short chapter. Please review!

Chapter 8

The rest of the school day passed rather slowly. I was caught up in a haze of fantasies about when I would finally get to talk to Bella. Every now and then the occasional vision would make my eyes go black and my stomach feel queasy. Toward the end of art I received a vision of myself driving Bella's rusted red truck into her driveway. It was one of the more random visions I have ever seen, although I supposed Edward must have driven Bella home during Biology for some reason.

English ticked by even slower than art. Our discussion of _Pride and Prejudice _could only be described as inane. The children in my class barely understood the meaning of the novel at all. So I allowed myself to become very still and wait for any visions to overtake me.

Then finally, _finally_, the last bell of the day rang. I gathered up all my things and eagerly skipped my way over to the Volvo. I stopped outside of the driver's window and held out my hand.

"I only saw that I was. You'll have to tell me the whys." I smiled at Edward.

Edward frowned at me. "This doesn't mean-"

"I know, I know. I'll wait. It won't be long."

Edward sighed and gave me the key.

I drove Bella's truck to her house through the pouring rain. The large droplets came pounding down quickly, but my extrasensory vision allowed me to see each individual drop falling from the sky and splashing against the hood of the truck or the road. I only bothered with the windshield wipers so that I didn't draw undue attention to myself.

I left the key in the ignition and climbed into the back of the Volvo, next to Jackson. I noticed right away the almost floral scent of human that permeated the car and spread from the front passenger seat.

"So why did you drive Bella home, Edward?" I said as we sped off towards home.

"Well, that's an interesting story, Alice. Apparently, Bella faints at the sight of blood. So when they did blood typing in Biology, Bella passed out. I was listening to music in my car and I saw Mike Newton dragging Bella to the nurse's station. I thought he might have killed her."

There was a pause, and then everyone except Edward started to laugh. I tried to stop mine. "Bella, who might become a vampire, faints at blood?" I asked, and broke down into high-pitched laughter.

The laughter lasted almost all the way to the house. We only stopped when I saw Edward's hands tightening on the steering wheel as if he was going to damage it.

"Alright everyone, that's enough," I said with one last giggle.

We walked into the house and spread out to our various activities.

Emmett and Jasper resumed their elaborate game of chess. It was not a usual game. It involved eight connected boards and their own unique set of rules. Rosalie turned on the television and idly flipped through the channels. Esme was upstairs, humming. Carlisle was at work. Edward stood in the doorway for a moment. I went to my design project that I was working on for Rosalie. The various touch-monitors sprang to life with a low hum. While the computer was booting up I lay my head against the wall and mouthed Emmett's next moves to Jasper, who was facing me. I smiled wickedly.

I turned my head suddenly when I heard fingers running up the piano. Edward was sitting on the piano bench, for the first time in what felt like forever. He slowly played an unfamiliar tune. It seemed to me that he was composing as he played.

Esme appeared at the top of the stairs and stood there, watching Edward play.

Edward added a lower harmonizing line, and Esme gave a great contented sigh. She sat down on the top of the stairs and leaned her head on the banister.

Edward changed the melody a bit, moving it in a new direction. Then suddenly, he turned to Rosalie and laughed. He threw his hands over his mouth, but laughter escaped anyway. Rosalie glared at him fiercely, her eyes clenched in embarrassment.

Everyone turned to stare at the two of them. Esme ran downstairs quickly. "Don't stop, Edward," she said, trying to diffuse the moment.

Edward turned back to the piano and began to play again. Rosalie pranced out of the room. Edward laughed again.

"What's wrong, Rose?" Emmett said to her. We all heard the door to the garage slam shut. "What's that about?" Emmett asked.

"I don't have the faintest idea," Edward said, but I knew he was lying. I had the strongest feeling it had to do with why Rose had been showing so much dislike for Bella.

Emmett grumbled. I felt like doing the same.

"Keep playing," Esme said.

Edward obeyed. Esme walked over to Edward and put her hands on his shoulders. "It's charming. Does it have a name?" she asked.

"Not yet."

"Is there a story to it?" Esme asked.

"It's… a lullaby, I suppose." Edward was playing this whole time, trying out new chords and trying to fit together a bridge.

" A lullaby," Esme said slowly.

I walked over and sat to the right of Edward on the piano bench. I sang a wordless harmony two octaves higher than the melody.

"I like it," Edward said. "But how about this?" He added my line to the harmony and changed it a little bit.

I sang along.

"Yes. Perfect," he said. Then the song started to flow lower and slower. My voice accompanied it to its sadder ending, until Edward played the final, solemn note.

Esme stroked Edward's hair. I tried to silence my thoughts, to give them a private moment.

"Thanks," Edward whispered.

They conversed back and forth for a while. I tapped out the melody to "Heart and Soul," and Edward joined me with the lower part. He played "Chopsticks" for me, and I laughed.

"So I wish you'd tell me what you were laughing at Rose about," I said. "But I can see that you won't."

"Nope," Edward said.

I reached over and playfully flicked Edward's ear with my finger.

"Be nice, Alice. Edward is being a gentleman," Esme said.

I pouted. "But I want to _know_."

Edward laughed. "Here, Esme," he said, and played her favorite song.

I continued to sit beside him, sorting through the future and joyfully listening to Edward play. It had been far too long. I received a vision showing me that it would be sunny for part of the day on Saturday. I saw a vision of the latest in a string of homicides in Houston. And I saw a vision of Jasper hugging a familiar vampire with red eyes, while a female clasps my hand in welcome.

"Oh!" I said. "Jasper, guess what?"

Edward, who obviously had glimpsed the vision in my mind, stopped playing abruptly.

"What, Alice?" Jasper said.

"Peter and Charlotte are coming to visit next week! They're going to be in the neighborhood, isn't that nice?"

"What's wrong, Edward?" Esme asked.

"Peter and Charlotte are coming to _Forks_?" Edward asked with a hiss in his voice.

I rolled my eyes. "Calm down, Edward. It's not their first visit." When Edward clenched his teeth together, I frowned. "They never hunt here. You know that."

"When?" he demanded.

I pursed my lips, and concentrated. _Monday morning. No one is going to hurt Bella._

"No," he confirmed. "You ready, Emmett?"

"I thought we were leaving in the morning?" Emmett complained.

"We're coming back by midnight Sunday. I guess it's up to you when you want to leave," Edward said in an icy tone.

"Okay, fine. Let me say goodbye to Rose first." Emmett got up and walked to the garage.

"Play the new song for me one more time," Esme requested.

"If you'd like that," Edward said. He paused, and then pulled a yellow bottle cap from his pocket. He set it on the empty music stand and began playing.

Esme and I exchanged questioning looks at that, but did not say a word.


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Notes: SO so sorry that it has taken me so long to post. I hope you have not given up on this story! I am moving, and it is stressful (that's putting it mildly). But once again Alice threatened me if I didn't continue, so here is more. I promise to post the next chapter within a day or two.

As always, none of this is mine. Alice and her family belong to Stephanie Meyer. Inspiration from this story comes from _Twilight _and _Midnight Sun_.

Chapter 9

It was quieter at home without Emmett and Edward. We borrowed the Volvo to drive to school on Friday. Bella's scent still lingered in the car. I noticed Jasper inhaling subtly, as if he were savoring the fading bouquet of Bella's blood. I gave him a little slap on his thigh and shook my head.

At lunch Jasper, Rosalie and I put our heads together and planned for our next hunting trip. We thought we would go to Southern Canada, just to be safe. I noticed Bella looking at us more than once. I was so tempted, without Edward there to tell me no, to go over and talk to her then. But I knew how angry he would be when he got back and so I restrained myself.

Rosalie and I spent most of Saturday working on her wardrobe. She directed me as I designed blouses and skirts and dresses in various hues and fabrics, correcting my choice in length or color. Jackson spent the day working on homework and helping Esme clean the house in preparation for Peter and Charlotte's arrival.

Sunday morning and afternoon Rosalie and I dragged Jasper to the Westlake Mall in downtown Seattle. We spent the day shopping and buying clothes for everyone in our family, whether they wanted them or not.

"Well, I'd say today was a success," I said as I added another bag to Jasper's left hand. He was already carrying twelve bags. I was carrying nine, and Rosalie was carrying eight.

"I don't know," Rosalie said, eyeing the little lingerie boutique nearby.

"For Jasper's sake, let's be done," I said. Jasper mouthed, _Thank you, _at me.

I spent the long drive home imagining what Bella was doing. Her future the day before had been vague and unclear. Today, all I saw was that she was going to enjoy the sun that was going to keep the rest of us out of school for the next two days.

That night the boys came home. Emmett, covered in bear blood and wearing torn clothing, looked as if he had the time of his life. Edward looked neat as ever but distracted. He had a quick talk with Carlisle and Esme, changed into his new button-down and jeans, and then walked out the back door.

"Where's he going?" Jasper asked.

Emmett rolled his eyes. "Don't ask me. The kid is crazy."

"Oh come on, Emmett, that's not true. You know that anyone would want some time alone after spending a weekend with you," I said sweetly to him.

He grimaced and made a rude gesture.

Of course, I knew where Edward was really going. He was going to Bella's house, to watch her again while she slept. There was a part of me that wanted to tell him to knock it off, that it was a violation of her trust. There was another part of me that found it incredibly sweet of Edward, and knew that he meant no harm.

"Come on, Jazz," I said. "Let's get ready for Peter and Charlotte's arrival."

Just after 5:15 the next morning Jasper and I stood in a clearing three-quarters of a mile from the house, holding hands. Jasper was so excited that he was rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. It had been close to three years since he had seen his old friends.

"They should be coming in from the North-East," I said, and we both turned a little to the right to face that direction.

We only had to wait one minute more before we heard the sound of light, sure feet running through the trees. Then all sound of running stopped. There was a long pause, and then two figures emerged out of the shadows.

"Peter!" Jasper said. "Charlotte!"

The two vampires were tall, pale, and beautiful. They wore old, dirty clothing that was meant to survive extended camping trips, and Peter carried a pack on his back that I knew carried all of their earthly belongings. Charlotte's hair, while a gorgeous shade of white-blonde that caught the light with every tilt of her head, was dirty and tangled. It was obvious that the two had been traveling for a long time. Their wide, red eyes crinkled into smiles as they focused on Jasper and I. Even though I knew that there was nothing to fear from them, my instincts told me not to let my guard down around these red-eyed beings.

"Jasper!" Peter said and he quickly walked up to Jasper and pulled him into a hug. Charlotte stepped over to me and grasped my hand with both of hers, smiling sweetly at me.

"And the beautiful Alice. Charming as ever, I see," Peter said as he ended his hug with Jasper and wrapped one arm around my waist.

I laughed. "It's good to see you both. How was your journey?"

"Can't complain," said Peter. "Although we hit a nasty snow storm coming through the Dakotas."

"Well let's get you both to the house, and you can clean up in a warm shower."

Charlotte smiled and said, "A shower would be lovely."

The four of us made our way to the house slowly, laughing and catching up on each other's lives. At one point I looked over at Jasper and beamed to see how content he looked.

When we reached the large clearing where the house lay, Peter gave a long, low whistle. "Well, I'll be," he said. "I always forget just how beautiful a situation you folks have got goin' here."

Jasper and I laughed, and the four of us walked inside. Standing in the living room were Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, and Edward, all obviously waiting for our guests to arrive.

"Hello everyone," Jasper said, for once the center of focus in the family. Jasper reintroduced Peter and Charlotte to the members of our family, and greetings were exchanged all around.

"You have such a beautiful home," Charlotte said, and Esme beamed at her.

"It's very nice to see you both again," Edward said. "Please forgive my rudeness, but I was just on my way out." He narrowed his eyes at me and then jerked his head at Peter and Charlotte in an unsubtle symbol that I bet no one in the room missed. I nodded at him, and Edward walked out the front door.

Peter said, "If it is not rude to inquire, may I ask where Edward is hurrying off to?"

I exchanged a look with Jasper and bit my lip before turning back to face Peter and Charlotte. "Of course you can ask about that, Peter," I said.

"Actually," Jasper said, "It pertains to something that we need to speak to both of you about."

Rosalie, who was tired of hearing about Edward and Bella, turned on the television and flipped to the Entertainment Network. Emmett went to sit beside her.

"You see, we have developed a bit of an unusual situation," Esme said to Peter and Charlotte with a small frown. I saw our guests look at each other in concern.

"It's nothing you need to be concerned about," Jasper said. "But do you remember how we ask you not to hunt in this area while you visit?"

"And we are happy to oblige such a request, of course," Peter said with a furrowed brow.

"Yes, of course," Jasper agreed. "We are just going to have to request that you widen the area in which you abstain from hunting, just for this visit. You see… Edward…" Jasper frowned at me, obviously struggling to find the words to explain Edward's strange situation.

I smiled. "Edward has developed feelings for a human girl. In fact, he just left so that he could be close to her. Even though we cannot go to school because of the sun, he is going to hide in the forest nearby and keep an eye on her safety and wellbeing throughout the day. He is quite…" I searched for the correct word, "Attached."

Peter and Charlotte appeared stunned. Even Rosalie and Emmett looked shocked. I didn't think they knew how much time Edward had been spending near Bella. Only Esme looked pleased.

"His feelings sound quite… devoted," said Peter, attempting to be diplomatic.

"You could call it that," Emmett said and rolled his eyes. "Devoted, obsessed, insane…"

I wanted to kick him.

"Yes," Jasper said and cleared his throat. "Let's just say that Edward's mental faculties cannot completely be trusted right now, and that any hunting within a certain perimeter would be seen as an act of aggression toward his… friend. For all of our wellbeing, would you mind waiting to hunt until you leave Forks and are at least twenty miles away?"

I could tell that Peter and Charlotte were bemused by the request, but they were only planning on staying two days, after all. They readily agreed with conciliatory smiles on their faces.

"Now, how about some showers," I said.

Monday morning Charlotte, Peter, Jasper, and I caught each other up on the last three years of our lives. We sat on the couches in the living room and exchanged stories about weather, nomad movement, politics, human lifestyle trends, and hunting (during which both parties barely managed to subdue their disgust and confusion at the others' lifestyle). Jasper and I complained about having to go through high school for the millionth time. Peter and Charlotte grumbled about the woes of not having a home and always having to be on the move.

In the afternoon Rosalie and I gave Charlotte a tour of our wardrobes, while Jasper and Peter ran races to try and compete to see who was fastest. Once Carlisle came home that evening from his shift at the hospital, all eight of us went to Rainier field to play a game of football. Charlotte, despite being quiet and shy, turned out to be quite competitive. Her speed and determination matched with my foresight and Carlisle's throwing power made us a good team. Even with disinterested Esme on our team, we were a pretty even match against the brute force of Emmett, Jasper, Peter, and Rosalie. It was a great game. My only regret was that Edward did not join us.

When the family returned home from the game at 3:30 AM, we all went our separate ways. Rosalie and Emmett went to their bedroom, and the noises that came from their room were explicit and embarrassing. Esme and Carlisle retired to the library. They tended to read books to each other at night, as a way to bond and increase their knowledge. Edward was still not home. I assumed he was once again at Bella's house, watching her sleep. Peter, Charlotte, Jasper, and I reminisced about old times, laughing until I thought my stomach would burst. I begged Peter and Charlotte for more stories about Jasper when he was younger. There was always more about my mate that I wanted to know. We talked and talked until I noticed the sunrise was reflecting against Charlotte's porcelain skin in diamond-like sparkles again the far wall of the living room.

That day was spent in enjoyment of the sunshine. We spent our time outside in the clearing next to the house where we did not have to hide from anyone, laying out and soaking up warmth and chatting idly about whatever we pleased. At one point I was braiding Charlotte's long hair and Jasper and Peter were competing to see who could skip stones farther in the stream. A breeze was blowing miniscule motes of pollen into swirling dervishes in the air and the light was dancing off the stream and breaking into beads of color. I had just sighed in contentment when Peter said, "Maria sends her regards."

Everyone froze. Jasper's eyes grew wide as saucers. A tense minute passed before Jasper nodded and everybody else took a breath. "You have seen Maria?"

"About six months ago," Peter said and rubbed his hand over his face. "She would not let me leave her sight until I promised to send her best wishes to her very own Major Jasper Whitlock." Peter frowned, and Jasper stared off into the distance with a grim look on his face.

I dropped Charlotte's hair and darted to Jasper's side. I put my hand on his shoulder and squeezed it lightly.

Jasper cleared his throat. "Well. I am glad that Maria is still alive and well. If you see her again, please tell her I said so, and that I am doing the same." There was a long, tense silence. "So, have you heard that the humans believe that there is water on Mars?" Jasper said, and our conversation took off again, only a little shakier than it was before.

It was understandable why it would disturb Jasper to hear from Maria. The tiny vampire who turned Peter, Charlotte, and Jasper had made their lives a living hell and planned to kill all three of them. It was only through luck, cunning, and desperation that any of them were still alive. Maria wishing Jasper well could only be seen as taunting. She was saying, 'The only reason you're alive and free is because I don't care enough to attack you.' The many scars on Jasper's body, not to mention the emotional scars that he tried so hard to hide, were all because of that witch. I hoped Jasper never had to hear her name again.

Later that evening the family was gathered inside the house. Emmett, Rosalie, and Esme were watching television while Jasper and I were saying goodbye to Peter and Charlotte. Edward came in through the kitchen door. It was only the second time I had seen him since Peter and Charlotte had arrived.

"Hey kid. Long time, no see," Emmett said.

"Hello, Edward," Esme beamed.

Edward nodded. He walked right past where I stood by the entranceway and walked straight to the piano bench. _Have fun in Port Angeles tonight_, I thought to him. I had received the vision earlier in the day, and knew he was going to follow Bella to the little tourist town in about half an hour. _Let me know when I'm allowed to talk to Bella._

Jasper didn't even glance at Edward, and I could tell he was angry that Edward did not try harder to make a better impression on his friends.

"It was so wonderful to see you both," Jasper said as Edward began to pound on the piano keys.

The longhaired Peter said, "Definitely. We must do this again soon. Perhaps within the next two or three years?" Then he chortled at his little joke.

"Goodbye, Peter," I said and gave him a hug.

Everyone exchanged goodbyes. At last it was Jasper's turn. He kissed Charlotte on the cheek, and gave Peter a hug. Then, in a low voice, he said, "If you see Maria again, tell her I wish her well."

"I don't imagine that will happen soon," Peter said and laughed. "But, should it happen, I certainly will." Jasper and Peter shook hands.

The song Edward was playing on the piano seemed appropriate for goodbyes, slow and nostalgic, yet sweet at the same time. It finished and Edward got to his feet. I smiled at him.

"Charlotte, Peter," Edward said.

"It was nice to see you again, Edward," Charlotte said in a polite but uncertain voice. Peter simply nodded.

I concentrated hard on the future for a moment, and then thought to Edward, _They're going straight east, to Seattle. No where near Port Angeles. _I showed him my vision of Peter and Charlotte running north, up through to the highway. I showed him the image I had received of the two of them in Seattle, picking off a lone homeless man at one of the Transit stations.

I stopped the vision right there. I didn't want to see the rest. And of course, I knew that Edward would ignore the image anyway. He wanted any excuse to follow Bella to Port Angeles.


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Notes: The Cullens, Bella, and the fictional version of the town of Forks do not belong to me. All credit goes to Stephanie Meyer. I make no profit off of this. Most of the dialogue in this chapter comes from _Twilight _or _Midnight Sun_. Thank you for reading! Please review.

Chapter 10

Although we had not done anything particularly taxing, I was glad when Peter and Charlotte left and I could have a moment to relax. Even for a vampire, there is something exhausting about playing hostess.

I kissed Jasper lightly on the lips. "I'm going to take a bubble bath," I said to him. Even though our bodies did not sweat or produce oils, it still felt good to soak in hot water and cleanse ourselves now and again.

He smiled at me shyly. "Do you want me to join you?" He raised an eyebrow.

I raised an eyebrow back. "That's a tempting offer." I kissed him slow and deep. "But tonight, I just need some time to myself. I'll be down in a little while to rain check you on that, though," I said with a smile.

I walked upstairs at a fairly slow pace and prepared the bubbles in the sunken Jacuzzi tub in Jasper and my bathroom. While the tub was filling up with water, I ran into my room and grabbed some magazines and my silk kimono-inspired bathrobe. Once the bath was full I added some bath salts, undressed, and absentmindedly put my phone on the edge of the tub. I got in the water and sighed. Ah. Bliss.

I soaked for a good five minutes without a single thought in my head, just enjoying the warmth and the salts. Then I turned to the real reason that I wanted time alone. Jasper's and my anniversary was in a month and a half, and he had been thinking about proper presents all day. I wanted time alone to concentrate and see if I could ferret out what Jasper was going to get me. I closed my eyes and opened myself up the possibilities of the future, focusing hard on our anniversary and the moment we would exchange gifts. I saw Jasper pull out a small gift-wrapped box- no, it was a large framed something- no, wait, it was a four feet by three and a half feet- then, with little warning, I was yanked into a violent vision.

I saw Bella walking through shadowy streets in an unfamiliar industrial area of a town that smelled like the sea. An older, muscular man with a beer belly will approach her. Bella will look terrified.

"Stay away from me," she will say in a voice that barely manages to be steady.

"Don't be like that, sugar," the muscular man will say. His friends entrapping Bella from behind will laugh.

Bella will suddenly stand tall with her feet apart and her hands bared into fists. She will try to kick as the men come at her from all sides, but she will trip over a crack in the concrete. She will fall over and the men from behind will grab her hair and touch her face, while the large muscular man will yank at the waistband of her jeans. He will tug at her belt, attempting to rip it off-

"NO!" I shouted and forced myself out of the vision. I picked up my phone, ignoring the fact that my hands were dripping wet, and speed dialed Edward.

The phone rang, and rang, and rang, but he didn't pick up. I left him a voicemail, just in case. "Bella needs you," I trilled as fast as I could. "She's at the corner of Lantern and East Pier in Port Angeles. Help her now!"

I closed my eyes and concentrated harder than I ever had before in my life. _Come on, Edward_, I thought. _Come on, Edward. _

I was so grateful when I felt the tug at the pit of my stomach that meant a vision was coming. My vision went black and then I saw inside the Volvo. Outside the Volvo were trees speeding by and a dark expanse of road. Inside I saw a stunned-looking Bella and an enraged Edward.

In about 3.87 minutes, Bella will ask Edward, "Are you okay?"

Edward will pause for the barest of an instant, then say, "No." He will sound absolutely infuriated.

Suddenly the Volvo will jerk to a stop and Edward will sit motionless. "Bella," he will ask through gritted teeth.

"Yes?" she will say in a voice hoarse from adrenaline. She will clear her throat.

"Are you all right?" Edward will ask, still staring straight ahead and not moving.

"Yes," Bella says, and my vision ends.

I sit in the Jacuzzi, all pleasure in the bath gone. "Holy shit," I whisper. I cannot believe I almost convinced Edward to not follow Bella to Port Angeles. I cannot believe that it came so close. Poor Bella. All I can do is think of what happened to Rose, and imagine Bella in her place. I shiver, even though the water is still warm and I am incapable of feeling cold.

I get out of the bath. There is no enjoyment in it for me now. As the water and dirt particles swirl down the drain, I focus exceptionally hard on both Edward and Bella. I picture them both in my head and try to force a vision to come on. Unfortunately I do not have total control over my gift, so it is not until all the water is emptied and I have cleaned up the bathroom that I get another vision.

I am wrapping myself in my robe when my sight darkens. My stomach clenches and I breathe a sigh of relief. When I can see again I appear to be in some sort of Italian-themed restaurant, judging by the Chianti-candle holders and vineyard frescoes. Edward and Bella are sitting at a private table in a secluded corner of the restaurant. Edward will get up and take off his tan leather jacket, then hand it to Bella. Bella will put it on, and then surreptitiously sniff it.

"Thanks," Bella will say, taking a deep breath.

"That color blue looks lovely with your skin," Edward will say.

Bella will blush slightly.

Edward will push the basket of breadsticks toward her.

"Really," Bella will say. "I'm not going into shock."

"You should be- a _normal _person would be. You don't even look shaken." Edward will stare at Bella sternly.

"I feel very safe with you."

A long pause. Then Edward will say, "This is more complicated than I'd planned."

Bella will pick up a breadstick and begin to nibble on it. "Usually you're in a better mood when your eyes are so light," she'll say casually.

"What?" Edward will ask.

"You're always crabbier when your eyes are black- I expect it then," Bella will say. "I have a theory about that." And my vision ended.

I came to the present standing in the misty bathroom with my arms straight out in front of me and my hands clenched, as if I could physically hold on to the vision. "No," I moaned. "Come back." I closed my eyes and tried to will myself back to the future, back to the Italian restaurant, back to Bella and Edward's conversation. It took about two minutes, but luckily it finally worked. My stomach lurched an inch to the left, and suddenly I was back to the cheesy restaurant. I saw that a waitress was standing in the corner, slowly pulling her shirt down to reveal more and more cleavage. Bella had already received her food. She and Edward were leaning towards each other intently.

"How did you know?" Bella will ask.

Edward will pause, considering.

"You can trust me, you know," Bella will whisper, reaching one hand out along the table. Edward will pull his hands back, and Bella will slide her hands back to her side.

"I don't know if I have a choice anymore. I was wrong- you're much more observant than I gave you credit for."

Bella will smile. "I thought you were always right."

"I used to be," Edward will say, sounding frightened. "I was wrong about you on one other thing as well. You're not a magnet for accidents- that's not a broad enough classification. You are a magnet for _trouble_. If there is anything dangerous within a ten-mile radius, it will invariably find you."

Bella will stop smiling. "And you put yourself into that category?"

"Unequivocally."

Bella will seem to gather her bravery, and this time she will actually make contact when she reaches her hand across the table. She will brush the top of Edward's fingers with her own, resting her hand on top of his. She'll smile lightly. "Thank you," she will say. "That's twice now."

"Let's not try for three, agreed?"

The restaurant slowly faded and turned into my bedroom. I sighed. Once again a vision ended at an inopportune time. I sat down on the edge of the Jacuzzi and forced my eyes shut. _You will not come out of this vision_, I ordered myself. _You will not come out of this vision until everything interesting has passed. _I had to wait for several minutes, but eventually it worked. I was pulled back to another vision of Bella and Edward. Bella was eating some kind of pasta while Edward leaned towards her, talking quietly.

"It's harder than it should be- keeping track of you," he will be saying. "Usually I can find someone very easily once I've heard their mind before."

Bella will pause, blink, and then continue to eat.

"I was keeping tabs on Jessica. Not carefully- like I said, only you could find trouble in Port Angeles…" Edward will describe how he drove around idly looking for Bella. He will discuss how he grew more and more anxious as he could not find her. "And then-" Edward will say.

"Then what?" Bella will whisper with intent, wide eyes on Edward.

"I heard what they were thinking," Edward will snarl. "I saw your face in his mind." He will cover his face in his hand in a motion that is too quick to be human. He'll pause there for a moment, and then look up and say, "It was very… hard- you can't imagine how hard- for me to simply take you away, and leave them… alive. I could have let you go with Jessica and Angela, but I was afraid if you left me alone, I would go looking for them." They will both wait as they calm down, and then Edward will look back at Bella and ask, "Are you ready to go home?"

"I'm ready to leave," Bella will say.

The waitress who was working on baring her chest earlier will swoop in and hand them a check, and Edward will give her money without sparing her a glance. Bella will give a small smile as Edward escorts her out of the building.


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Notes: Oh my gosh! I cannot believe how long it has been! I am incredibly sorry if anyone has been waiting. I promise I am not giving up on this story. Life has just taken an unexpected turn, and demands my full concentration. But Alice still holds my heart, so I promise more will come soon.

As always, none of this belongs to me. Inspiration for this story comes from _Twilight _and _Midnight Sun_, which were written by Stephanie Meyer.

Please Review! It keeps me going when writer's block makes me want to snap.

Chapter 11

My vision follows the two of them as Edward will hold open the door of the Volvo for Bella, and then as they both get in to the car.

"Now, it's your turn," Edward will say, as they pull out of the parking lot.

"Can I ask just one more?" Bella will ask, biting her lip plaintively.

"One," Edward will say with a sigh.

"Well," Bella will say, hesitating for a moment. "You said you knew I hadn't gone into the bookstore, and that I had gone south. I was just wondering how you know that." Edward will stare into the distance furiously, not speaking.

"I thought we were past all the evasiveness," Bella will say critically.

"Fine, then." Edward will give in. "I followed your scent."

Bella will pause, then say, "And then you didn't answer one of my first questions…"

"Which one?" Edward will ask disapprovingly.

"How does it work- the mind reading thing? Can you read anybody's mind, anywhere? How do you do it? Can the rest of your family…?" She will blush and glance away.

"That's more than one," Edward will say. Bella will glance back at Edward, waiting. Edward will explain that he is the only one with the gift of mind reading. He will also explain how his gift feels to him.

"Why do you think you can't hear me?" Bella will ask.

"I don't know. The only guess I have is that maybe your mind doesn't work the same way the rest of theirs do. Like your thoughts are on the AM frequency and I'm only getting FM." Edward will smile.

"My mind doesn't work right? I'm a freak?" Bella will ask in a horrified tone of voice.

"I hear voices in my mind and you're worried that _you're _the freak." Edward will laugh. Bella will continue to look concerned, so Edward will say, "Don't worry. It's just a theory… Which brings us back to you."

Bella will sigh and chew her lip.

"Aren't we past all the evasions now?" Edward will ask.

Bella will look down anxiously. Suddenly her eyes will widen and she'll gasp, "Holy crow! Slow down!"

"What's wrong?" Edward will sound confused and terrified.

"You're going a hundred miles an hour!" Bella will shout.

Outside of the vision I laughed, and Edward will roll his eyes. Of all the things to be afraid of. Bella is not afraid of Edward, but she is afraid of his driving? I giggle, and then focus back on the thread of their future conversation.

"I've never been in an accident, Bella. I've never even gotten a ticket." Edward will smile mischievously and touch his forehead. "Built in radar detector."

"Very funny. Charlie's a cop, remember? I was raised to abide by traffic laws. Besides, if you turn us into a Volvo pretzel around a tree trunk, you can probably just walk away," Bella will remind Edward.

"Probably," Edward will sigh. "But you can't." He will slow the car down by thirty miles per hour. "Happy?"

Bella will look at the speedometer with a disapproving look on her face. "Almost."

"I hate driving slow." The car will slow down just a little bit more.

"This is slow?" Bella will ask in an incredulous voice.

"Enough commentary on my driving," Edward will snap. "I'm still waiting for your latest theory."

Bella will bite her lip again and sit in silence.

"I won't laugh."

"I'm more afraid that you'll be angry with me," Bella will whisper.

"Is it that bad?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

There will be a long pause. "Go ahead," Edward will encourage Bella.

"I don't know how to start," Bella will say in a meek voice.

"Why don't you start at the beginning? You said you didn't come up with this on your own."

"No."

"What got you started- a book? A movie?"

"No," Bella will say hesitantly. "It was Saturday, at the beach." Bella will look over to Edward and then look down at her hands. "I ran into an old family friend- Jacob Black. His dad and Charlie have been friends since I was a baby. His dad is one of the Quileute elders."

Outside of the vision, I cringed. Even I knew that this was bad. Although I had never met any of the Quileutes, they had met us. They would be sure to tell their children to watch out for the Cold Ones.

"We went for a walk," Bella will continue. "And he was telling me about some old legends- trying to scare me, I think. He told me one…" Bella will trail off.

When the silence becomes too much, Edward will say, "Go on."

"About vampires," Bella will say in the smallest of voices.

Edward will flinch. "And you immediately thought of me?"

"No. He… mentioned your family." There will be a long silence, and then Bella will rush to say, "He just thought it was a silly superstition. He didn't expect me to think anything of it." She will play with her hands anxiously, obviously ill at ease. "It was my fault. I forced him to tell me."

"Why?" Edward will say in a would-be calm voice.

"Lauren said something about you- she was trying to provoke me. And an older boy from the tribe said your family didn't come to the reservation, only it sounded like he meant something different. So I got Jacob alone and I tricked it out of him."

Edward will laugh. "Tricked him how?"

"I tried to flirt- it worked better than I thought it would," Bella will say in a mystified voice.

"I'd like to have seen that," Edward will say. "And you accused me of dazzling people- poor Jacob Black."

Bella will blush.

"What did you do then?" Edward will ask.

"I did some research on the internet."

"And did that convince you?"

"No," Bella will sigh. "Nothing fit. Most of it was kind of silly. And then-" Bella will clamp her teeth together and stop talking.

"What?" Edward will ask.

A small pause, and then, in a whisper, "I decided it didn't matter."

"It didn't _matter_?" Edward will ask in an enraged voice.

"No. It doesn't matter to me what you are."

"You don't care if I'm a monster? If I'm not _human_?"

"No." Both Edward in my vision and I watching are wondering if Bella is entirely sane, judging from the look that will be etched on Edward's face. "You're angry," Bella will say with a sigh. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"No. I'd rather know what you're thinking- even if what you're thinking is insane."

"So I'm wrong again?" Bella will ask in a confrontational tone.

"That's not what I was referring to! 'It doesn't matter'!"

Bella will suck in a huge gasp. "I'm right?"

"Does it _matter_?"

"Not really," Bella will say in a normal voice. My vision dissolved around them. I came to the present and found myself staring into Jasper's eyes.

"Alice! Alice!" Jasper was grasping my shoulders and shaking me furiously.

I shook my head and blinked. "Jasper, what's wrong with you?"

Jasper closed his eyes and took a giant breath. "What's wrong with _me_?" he demanded. His hands were still on my shoulder. "Alice, do you know how long you have been just standing here, lost in a vision? Over twenty minutes. I have never seen you gone that long." Jasper's scars were standing out against his face, which looked even paler than normal. "I was- frightened," Jasper said in a small voice.

I knew how hard it was for Jasper to admit fear. I stood on my tiptoes and wrapped my arms around Jasper's neck. "I'm fine, love. I'm fine." I promised him and then kissed him on the cheek, then on the temple. "I was just focusing really hard on a vision, that's all." I pulled back and watched Jasper blink slowly and sigh.

"You're sure you're fine?" Jasper asked in an unsure voice.

There were some moments, like that one, where I could not believe how lucky I was to have found my soul mate. I felt so pleased to have someone to take care of me. "Yes, Jasper, I'm well." I kissed him gently and said, "I've just been listening to Bella and Edward's eventful night."

I caught him up on what I had seen in my vision, leaving out that Bella knew that we were vampires. I thought that was a discovery that could wait until he was in a less worried mood.

"I thought I told you not to spy on other people's conversations," Jasper reminded me.

"And you know you are just as curious, which is why you waited until I finished summarizing the entire vision to scold me." I smiled at Jasper impishly and kissed him again. "Now if you'll excuse me, I am going to go wait for Edward. We need to talk."

I went to my room and got dressed for the evening. As I was buttoning my lace blouse I heard Jasper begin to tune his fiddle and I smiled. I walked outside and held my arms out, embracing the wind.

I sat on the porch, waiting for Edward. I didn't have to linger long. Within twenty minutes his Volvo careened to a stop in front of the house. He got out of the car and made as if to walk right past me.

"Carlisle's in his study," I said.

"Thank you," he said and rumpled my hair as he made to walk right past me.

_Thank _you _for returning my call_, I thought bitterly.

"Oh," he said and pulled out his small silver phone. He flipped it open and scanned it briefly. "Sorry. I didn't even check to see who it was. I was… busy." Edward grimaced.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry, too. By the time I saw what was going to happen, you were on your way."

"It was close," Edward said.

_Sorry_, I thought. The guilt ate at my stomach.

"Don't be," Edward said magnanimously. "I know you can't catch everything. No one expects you to be omniscient, Alice."

_That's not true,_ I thought. "Thanks."

"I almost asked you out to dinner tonight- did you catch that before I changed my mind?"

I smiled. Leave it to my favorite brother to know what to say to cheer me up. "No, I missed that one, too. Wish I'd known. I would have come."

"What were you concentrating on, that you missed so much?"

I smiled devilishly. _Jasper's thinking about our anniversary. _I giggled. _He's trying not to make a decision on my gift, but I think I have a pretty good idea… _I pictured the diamond and sapphire earring-and-necklace set I had seen coming out of a small velvet box in my vision, and felt eager for our anniversary to come sooner.

Edward smiled. "You're shameless."

"Yep." I pursed my lips and stared at him. _I paid better attention later. Are you going to tell them that she knows?_

Edward sighed. "Yes. Later."

_I won't say anything. Do me a favor and tell Rosalie when I'm not around, okay?_

Edward winced. "Sure."

I looked at him considering. _Bella took it pretty well._

"Too well," Edward said and gave a little grimace.

I smiled. _Don't underestimate Bella. _Once again I thought with pride of my vision of Bella and I with our arms wrapped around each other, and then felt impatience. I wanted to actually know my friend for real, not only through visions and second-hand accounts.

Edward sighed. "Alice…"

I knew what he would ask. _She'll be fine tonight. I'm keeping a better watch now. She sort of needs twenty-four hour supervision, doesn't she?_

"At least," Edward said and sighed again.

"Anyway, you'll be with her soon enough," I said with perfect confidence. "Go on- get this done so you can be where you want to be."

Edward nodded and rushed past me inside the house. I lingered on the steps, looking up at the stars. Clouds were just beginning to force their way onto the horizon, but I took advantage of the time I had left to admire the rarely seen constellations.

"I heard Alice tell you where to find me," Carlisle's voice drifted out of the open window of his office on the second floor.

"I need help," Edward said.

"Anything, Edward," Carlisle's voice said. I smiled. Just like Carlisle.

"Did Alice tell you what happened to Bella tonight?" There was a pause. "Yes, almost. I've got a dilemma, Carlisle. You see, I want… very much… to kill him." Edward began talking quickly and furiously. "So much. But I know that would be wrong, because it would be vengeance, not justice. All anger, no impartiality. Still, it can't be right to leave a serial rapist and killer wandering Port Angeles! I don't know the humans there, but I can't let someone else take Bella's place as his victim. Those other women- someone might feel about them the way I feel about Bella. Might suffer what I would have suffered if she'd been harmed. It's not right-" Edward stopped suddenly, and I heard him take several long anguished breaths. "I'm not looking for compliments, Carlisle," Edward responded to a comment that was obviously in Carlisle's mind.

"Of course not," Carlisle said. "But I can't help my thoughts, can I? I'll take care of it. You can rest easy. No one else will be harmed in Bella's place."

At that moment I felt a pull in the pit of my stomach and I suddenly couldn't see. When my vision returned I saw a grimy dive bar. Three of the men who had almost attacked Bella, including the large one who had spoken to her, sit at the bar drinking. Carlisle and Edward walk in, confer quietly, and then Edward walks out. Carlisle will approach the large man and offer to sell him drugs for a very low price. The men will be so drunk that they will agree after only a few questions. Carlisle will lead the men to the alley behind the bar, where he will pull something out of his black doctor's valise, quickly injecting the large man in the back of the neck. When the large man is unconscious, his friends lose all loyalty and interest. Carlisle will convince them to return to their homes. Then Carlisle will successfully deal with the unconscious monster before him.

"I'll show you where to find him," Edward said.

"Let's go."

They passed by me where I still sat on the steps as they left. I smiled at them and waved. They would have no trouble.

I lay back down and focused again on Jasper's present, thinking that if I can't have the stars, then diamonds will suit me just nicely.


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Notes: Hello everyone! I am so incredibly sorry that it has taken me so long to post! I moved a couple of days ago, and my life is still a bit chaotic. I was forced to put this story on the back burner for a while. But don't worry. I am not giving up. Thank you to anyone who has stuck with me.

None of this belongs to me. I am making no profit off of any of it. The characters in this story all belong to Stephanie Meyer. Inspiration for this story and most dialogue comes from _Twilight _or _Midnight Sun_.

Please review! Thanks for reading.

Chapter 12

As I was getting ready for school the next morning I noticed the small news report on CNN. A poor-quality picture of the large man who had almost attacked Bella accompanied the ten-second report.

"Alonzo Calderas Wallace, suspected serial rapist and murderer wanted in the states of Texas and Oklahoma, was apprehended last night in Portland, Oregon thanks to an anonymous tip. Wallace was found unconscious in an alley early this morning, just a few yards from a police station. Officials are unable to tell us at this time whether he will be extradited to Houston or Oklahoma City to stand trial."

"The coverage here in town will be light," I said to Edward, who was watching the report beside me. "It's too far away to be considered of local interest. It was a good call to have Carlisle take him out of state."

Edward nodded. He seemed lost in thought. Finally he asked, "Alice, do you mind-"

I smiled and interrupted. I didn't need my gift to know the answer to his question. "Rosalie will drive. She'll act pissed, but you know she'll enjoy the excuse to show off her car." I laughed.

Edward smiled at me. "See you at school."

I sighed wistfully. He was going to see Bella. Again. And I hadn't seen her once. When Edward grimaced, I thought, _I know, I know. Not yet. I'll wait until you're ready for Bella to know me. You should know, though, this isn't just me being selfish. Bella's going to like me, too._

Edward left. I turned the television off and ran upstairs to ask Rose if she would drive.

Just like I had predicted, Rosalie pretended it was a huge inconvenience to have to drive. But I saw her smile when she got into the driver's seat of her M3, and I knew she wasn't too unhappy.

We got to school before Edward and Bella, and I walked to Government sadly. I wanted to know how Bella would react to Edward this morning, now that she knew the truth. Would she be different? Would she keep her distance? I sighed. I guessed I would just have to wait until lunch to observe her.

Once again, the purgatory of high school passed painfully slow. I was anticipating lunch, when I could finally overhear Bella and Edward speak. So the monotony of school seemed even more unbearable. In Spanish, we began presentations on our favorite food. I pretended to sleep while secretly looking in the future for more information about where Jasper would take me on our anniversary. In Gym we began the badminton unit. I shared the class with Edward, and we were paired together, as always. The other students were too intimidated by us to want to work with one of the mysterious Cullens. I spent most of Gym staring at the ceiling. I would idly swing at the birdie whenever it came my way, forcing myself to miss now and again.

When Coach Clapp ended class a little early, I thought to Edward, _Enjoy yourself. Just a few days more to be patient. I suppose you won't say hi to Bella for me, will you?_

Edward shook his head with an irritated look on his face.

_FYI, it's going to be sunny on both sides of the sound this weekend. You might want to rearrange your plans,_ I thought. Then I took off for the women's locker room.

I got changed quickly and hurried off to meet Jasper at the door of his English class.

"Hello, gorgeous," he said when he saw me.

I smiled, always happy to see him. "Hello, good sir. I was wondering if you would accompany me to lunch." I raised one eyebrow at him, daring him to play along.

He smiled and gave a theatrical bow. "Why of course, fair damsel. I would be delighted." He held out one arm a foot away from his body. I giggled and took his arm, laying my hand atop his.

We walked to lunch this way, although quickly dropped our hold on each other when we entered the cafeteria. Jasper and I did not like to be as demonstrative as Rosalie and Emmett, or some of the other couples walking around the campus.

We bought some random food and sat down at our usual table. Rosalie and Emmett were already there. The four of us sat and played with our food idly, waiting for one more period of purgatory to pass. To amuse myself, I focused on the conversation between Edward and Bella. The two of them had just sat down at what was becoming their regular table.

"What would you do if someone dared you to eat food?" Bella asked in what I'm sure she meant to be a quiet voice.

"You're always curious," Edward said with the faintest bit of a groan. There was a long pause, during wish I grew incredibly frustrated that I had promised myself I would not look over to their table. Finally Edward said, "If someone dared you to eat dirt, you could, couldn't you?" Due to the smug tone of his voice, I assumed he had taken a bite of human food. Poor Edward. He would have to choke it back up later.

"I did once… on a dare. It wasn't so bad."

Edward laughed. "I suppose I'm not surprised."

Across the table from me Rosalie rolled the orange in front of her in a circle several times, around and around. Emmett and Jasper were having a quiet conversation about a baseball game they wanted to organize soon.

"Jessica's analyzing everything I do," Edward said to Bella. "She'll break it down for you later."

There was another pause. I stared at Rosalie's hands, which continued to roll the orange in a slow circle. Then I heard Edward say, "So the waitress was pretty, was she?"

"You really didn't notice?" Bella asked in an arch tone of voice.

"No. I wasn't paying attention. I had a lot on my mind."

"Poor girl," Bella said, although it did not sound as if she meant it. I smiled.

"Something you said to Jessica… well, it bothers me," Edward said slowly.

"I'm not surprised you heard something you didn't like. You know what they say about eavesdroppers."

I wanted to laugh out loud. I had been telling that to Edward for years.

"I warned you I would be listening," Edward said.

"And I warned you that you didn't want to know everything that I was thinking," Bella retorted.

_Point for Bella_, I thought with another smile.

"You did," Edward returned with a thick voice. "You aren't precisely right, though. I do want to know what you're thinking- everything. I just wish… that you wouldn't be thinking some things."

I rolled my eyes. Jasper gave me a strange look, and I shook my head at him. Stupid Edward. Wanting everything to be just his way.

"That's quite a distinction," Bella said over at her table.

"But that's not really the point at the moment."

"Then what is?" Bella asked intently.

"Do you truly believe that you care more for me than I do for you?" Edward asked. His voice was quiet and unsure, and made me desperate to turn around and take a glance at his face.

Over the sound of the babbling students I heard Bella's breathing stop. When it resumed it came out in a ragged gasp. "You're doing it again," she accused.

"What?" Edward said.

"Dazzling me," Bella said in an embarrassed tone of voice.

"Oh," was all Edward had to say to that.

Ten tables over I put my head in my hand. My silly oblivious brother. Next to me Jasper gave a little chuckle. He had obviously begun to listen to their conversation as well. I hadn't noticed when his talk with Emmett had ended.

"It's not your fault. You can't help it," Bella said.

"Are you going to answer my question?" Edward asked angrily.

"Yes," Bella said quietly.

Another pause.

"Yes, you are going to answer, or yes, you really think that?" Edward demanded.

"Yes, I really think that," Bella said. She sounded vaguely sad or embarrassed. I couldn't tell which without looking at her face.

"You're wrong," Edward said solemnly.

Bella whispered, "You can't know that."

"What makes you think so?"

When it took Bella longer than a few seconds to respond, I almost turned around. "Let me think," she said, as obviously my brother grew annoyed with her waiting to answer. So we simply sat still and waited impatiently.

"Well, aside from the obvious," Bella said, "Sometimes… I can't be sure- I don't know how to read minds- but sometimes it seems like you're trying to say goodbye when you're saying something else."

"Perceptive," Edward whispered. Ten tables over I nodded, silently agreeing. "That's exactly why you're wrong, though-" Edward rushed to explain.

"What does she mean, 'she doesn't know how to read minds?'" Rosalie asked.

I whipped my head towards her. I had not been aware that she had been paying attention to their conversation either.

"Yes," Emmett said and leaned in across the table towards me. "What does the human mean? Alice?"

I could feel Jasper's gaze burning into the side of my face and I winced. This was not the way that I wanted everyone to find out that Bella knew about us.

I looked into the future as fast as I could, trying to see how best to deal with this situation. My instincts told me to tell everyone later, to promise them an explanation as soon as we got home. But my vision of that scenario was incredibly ugly- it involved physical violence, destruction of property, and some seriously sensational screaming. In fact, it was possible that Rose might not be able to wait until we got home before she demanded an answer. So I did the only thing I could.

"I need you all to promise to take this calmly, all right?" I asked while staring at Rosalie. "Last night, in Port Angeles, Edward confirmed for Bella the truth about his gift." I said this as quietly as possible, even though anyone passing by would not know what I was referring to from my conversation.

Rosalie gave a short hiss of an inhale. Jasper clenched my thigh so tightly it would have bruised a human. I looked at Emmett, for once the calmest of the bunch, and said, "That's not all. On their drive back, Edward told Bella about us."

Instantly my stomach jerked to the right and my mind was full of the image of Rosalie running across the cafeteria at full speed. She would slam to a stop at Edward's feet and begin screaming obscenities at him, heedless of the shocked and frightened stares of the students around her.

When I could see the present again, I saw that Emmett had wrapped his arm around Rosalie tightly, pinning her to his side. "Easy, Rose," he said quickly and quietly.

I winced. _Sorry, Edward_, I called out with my thoughts. _She could tell Bella knew too much from your conversation… and, well, it would have been worse if I hadn't told her the truth right away. Trust me on that._ As proof I pulled out the image of his favorite car from my earlier vision, his prized Aston Martin, burning and broken.

"Look, you all need to calm down. It's not a big deal," I said to the rest of my family.

"Calm down? Not a big deal?" Jasper repeated. "The human knows about us!" He lowered his voice even more and leaned in. "She could expose us," he hissed.

I shook my head. "Bella won't do that. Trust me. I know." I tapped the side of my head. "Besides, I'll have proper warning if she does."

Jasper didn't look convinced. Rosalie was still being restrained by Emmett, who also looked pretty furious. But no one was about to immediately hurt anyone else, and that was enough for me. "We'll talk about it with Carlisle tonight, all right?" I said, and turned back to Edward and Bella's conversation.

"But you never told me-" Edward was saying. "Are you resolved on going to Seattle, or do you mind if we do something different?"

"I'm open to alternatives. But I do have a favor to ask," Bella said.

"What?"

"Can I drive?" Bella requested.

"Why?"

"Well, mostly because when I told Charlie I was going to Seattle, he specifically asked if I was going alone and, at the time, I was. If he asked again, I probably wouldn't lie, but I don't think he _will _ask again, and leaving my truth at home would just bring up the subject unnecessarily. And also, because your driving frightens me."

"Of all the things about me that could frighten you, you worry about my driving," Edward said in a disgusted voice.

Just then I felt the familiar warning signs of a vision. I let myself sink into it. The first recognizable object in the vision was Edward, so I called out in my thoughts to him. _Edward!_ I alerted him to the fact that I was having a vision. Then I looked around the surroundings of my vision and noticed that I was in a familiar meadow in the woods west of Forks. The sun would be shining brightly that day, illuminating every strand of grass and wildflower. Edward was not the only figure I could see in the vision. Bella was there as well. Rainbows from Edward's skin were reflecting onto Bella's face, and her eyes were open wide.

I felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. _It's the same place,_ I thought. My body filled up with tension as horror filled me. This was the place where Bella would die.

_Edward! _I thought as I saw the Edward in my vision suddenly lose control. His eyes would grow wide with lust, his body would sink into a crouch, and then he would lunge._ I love her, Edward! _I cried out in my mind, desperately hoping Edward was paying attention.

When the vision was over and I was fully in the present, I turned around in my seat and glared at Edward, but he was turned away from me. I sighed and turned back around to face Emmett, who still had his arm around Rosalie. I was tired of overhearing Bella and Edward's conversation, tired of sitting still and pretending not to fight with my siblings, and tired of staying away from my future friend.

I picked up my tray of food and said, "I'm going to art early. I'll see you later," and sashayed out of the cafeteria.


	13. Chapter 13

Author's Notes: All right, everybody, I'm back! If anybody has actually been waiting, I sincerely apologize. Life kind of got away from me for a while, and this story had to be put on the back burner. However, I will try to be updating a lot more frequently from now on.

Alice and her family are sadly not mine. They belong to Stephanie Meyer, who also wrote some of the dialogue in this chapter (from _Twilight_).

Please review. Pretty please? It would really help to know that people are reading.

Chapter 13

The rest of school passed in a familiar trance of boring lectures and inconsequential visions. The only moment of relief was Art class, and even then time seemed to crawl. It was frustrating to be limited to drawing at a human speed. I was utterly relieved when the final bell of the day rang, signaling that I was free to go.

I walked out of English and took an unusual route to the parking lot, seeing if I could pass Bella coming out of Gym. _You know,_ I thought to myself with a grim smile, _Edward's refusal to allow you to speak to Bella is turning you into a bit of a stalker. _I turned the corner around the math and science building and was surprised to find Edward leaning against the side of the gym. I froze and then backed up a few steps so that I was hidden behind an overgrown lion topiary, and hoped that Edward was too focused on the smiling brunette walking out of the gym to notice my thoughts.

"So get this- she swings her racket up, right, hits herself on the head, and then whacks her partner on the shoulder as she brings it down. I swear, that girl is the biggest klutz I have ever seen. Coach Clapp shouldn't even let her..."

_Ah, stupid human chatter. _I did my best to tune out the three girls walking past me and focused on Bella and Edward's conversation. I could just make out Edward's bright smile and hear him ask, "How was Gym?"

Bella seemed to pause for a moment longer than necessary before answering. "Fine," she said in an uncertain voice.

"Really?" Edward said dryly. I watched as his eyes drifted to the right and seemed to follow the Newton boy, who was walking away from Edward and Bella and giving them a lot of space. Edward's eyes tightened.

"What?" Bella asked in a tense tone.

Edward looked back at Bella and said, "Newton's getting on my nerves."

"You weren't listening again?" Bella asked, in a voice that sounded as if something absolutely horrible had happened.

Edward gave an angelic smile. "How's your head?"

"You're unbelievable!" Bella cried and spun around on one heel, almost slipping as she did so. She stormed off with exaggerated footsteps towards the parking lot.

I covered my mouth to stop a giggle from emerging, so that Edward wouldn't hear me. So the "klutz" that those girls were talking about was Bella, I presumed. How absurd, that Edward should fall for the least coordinated girl in all of Forks. I did my best to reign in my laughter, and by the time I could focus again on my surroundings both Bella and Edward were gone.

I made my way leisurely to the parking lot, casually reflecting on the future and wondering if there has ever been a clumsy vampire before. I walked to where we had left Rosalie's BMW earlier that morning and was surprised to see a crowd, comprised of mostly teenaged boys, standing in a circle around the car. Rosalie was sitting in the driver's seat, looking like a queen on a throne surveying her subjects. Emmett was sitting in the front seat looking angry and defensive, as if he wanted to beat someone up but didn't know whom. And poor Jasper was standing off to the side of the swarm, obviously too shy to push his way through the crowd to get to the car. I finally allowed myself a giggle. The scene was just too ridiculous.

Jasper turned around when he heard me, and his face broke out into a sheepish smile. "Hello, gorgeous," he said. "I can't…" then trailed off and gestured to the crowd that was ever so slowly trickling away.

I skipped over to Jasper and gave him a peck on the cheek and then let myself giggle again. "It's okay, love, let me handle this." I cleared my throat, straightened the collar of my blouse, and then burst out in the loudest voice I could make and still sound human. "Alright people, let's go, move it, move it! Make some room. Tired people want to go home. Let's go! That's right, you can do it." I grabbed Jasper by the hand and tugged him through the groaning but dispersing crowd.

Rosalie turned around in the front seat and glared at me as I opened the door and sat down behind Emmett. "Alice, I was enjoying that," she hissed. But Emmett shot me a grateful smile, and Jasper placed his hand on my knee after he was settled in his seat, and I knew to ignore my irascible sister.

We drove home in typical but companionable silence. The only indication that anything amiss had happened at lunch was the tight grip that Rosalie maintained on the steering wheel, and the angry way that she shifted gears. I stared out the window and focused on as many details of the trees that flashed by as possible, noting that the few trees that weren't evergreens had mostly dropped their leaves by now. I liked to note the growth of moss on rocks and tree trunks, to see how green and alive the surrounding forest was. It made me feel more included in the passage of time, something I often felt left out of. I sighed heavily. Jasper gave me a concerned look, but I shook my head and gave him a wan smile.

When we got home I pulled out my Biology homework and set to work at the living room couch with a groan. One of the worst things about high school, besides having to relearn boring and simplified material, was the inane homework that took up extra time. Luckily at home I could work at my own, non-human, pace. Jasper settled down next to me and began what looked to be an essay for his English class. Rosalie and Emmett went up to their room, but whatever they were doing, for once, it was quiet.

"Hello, beautiful ones," Esme said in her melodic voice as she entered the living room. She had a miniscule drop of blood on the sleeve of her blue blouse that let me know that she had just come back from hunting. "Did you both have a good day at school?"

"It was school," I said at the same moment Jasper said, "It was… interesting," then wrote another fast sentence in his beautiful penmanship.

"Interesting?" Esme said with a questioning tone. She ran over to us in a sixteenth of a second. "How so?"

Jasper and I exchanged a long look, and then I turned back to Esme. "I think we need to have another family meeting," I said.

Esme gave a little wince and then nodded. "I see. Is everyone… alright?" she asked, clearly trying to find a tactful way of asking if Edward or Jasper had passed their limit today.

I gave her a reassuring smile. "Yes, Mom, everyone's fine. Edward just has some news he needs to share with all of us. Including Carlisle."

Jasper gave a little cough when I said, "news," but I did my best to ignore him. Obviously Jasper and my siblings were still upset at Edward for telling Bella about us. They just didn't understand the situation. With a little time and more exposure to Bella, I was sure that they (well, all but Rosalie) would come around. I turned back to my assignment, pleased when Esme grabbed her book from upstairs and sat down in the arm chair next to me and Jasper.

A few minutes later Edward came in, whistling slowly the lullaby that he created the other night on his piano. "Hello, all," he said with a smile on his face. "Hello, Mother," he said and kissed Esme on the cheek. "And what are you lot occupying your time with?"

Jasper held up his _Complete Works of William Shakespeare _and then gestured to the notepad in his lap and the worksheets spread across the coffee table.

"Ah," Edward said. "Mindless tedium. Care if I join you?" he asked and set down his leather messenger bag purposefully on top of Jasper's textbook.

I beamed at Edward, delighted by both his good mood and by the prospect of getting to spend some time with him for a chance.

The next hour or so passed in a wonderful haze. Sometimes I forgot how pleasurable it could be simply to _be _with my family. Occasionally I would look over at Jasper, and see his brow furrowed adorably in concentration, or see Edward smiling happily off into the distance, and I would get a warm glow inside my stomach. I was enjoying myself so much that once I finished the homework that was due the next day, I began working on early assignments.

Soon, though, Carlisle stepped through the curved double doors that led from the entrance hall. "Why, hello," he said and walked hurriedly over to give Esme's shoulder a quick squeeze. "This looks cozy," he said with a smile.

"It is," Esme said and reached up to cover Carlisle's hand with her own. I caught Edward's eye and looked away quickly, smiling a little to witness such a tender gesture between our surrogate parents.

"Great. Carlisle's finally home," said a furious voice from the top of the stairs. We all whipped our heads around to see Rosalie standing on the second floor, arms crossed and face enraged. Emmett was standing just behind her with an arm draped in what was probably supposed to look casually around Rose's shoulder, except I could see his muscles bulging in an effort to keep her remaining where she stood. "May we actually have the discussion that we were promised?"

I sighed. Leave it to Rosalie to ruin the moment.

Carlisle leaned down and murmured to Esme, "We're having a discussion?"

Esme squeezed Carlisle's hand again and then stood up. "Yes, apparently we are in need of a family meeting," she said. She ushered everyone into the dining room. Quickly I saw that sides were forming. Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper sat on one side of the table. Edward, Esme, and I sat on the other, while Carlisle sat at the head of the table as always.

"Alright," Carlisle began. "Now what is this discussion abou-"

"Edward told the human about us," Rosalie said instantly, cutting Carlisle off. She furiously pointed her finger at Edward, as if she needed further proof to incriminate her least-favorite brother.

"Edward told what human, what about us?" Carlisle asked slowly, although I knew that he understood more than what his question made it seem. Rosalie opened her mouth wide, obviously about to break into a rant, but Carlisle held a patient hand up. "Hold on, Rosalie. I know you have a lot to say, but for now I would like to hear from someone who is a little less angry." Carlisle turned to Emmett. "Son? What is your understanding of this?"

Emmett sighed and said, in an unusually grave voice, "Today at lunch we all overheard the Swan girl talk to Edward about his ability to read minds. When we asked Alice about that, she confirmed for us that Edward had told the human about his ability the night before. Not only that, apparently Edward had told Isabella-"

"Bella." Both Edward and I said.

"It's Bella," I continued.

"Whatever," Emmett said with the first hint of irritation in his voice. "Apparently last night Edward also told _Bella_ that we are all- what we are."

Carlisle turned to Edward with a frown. "Son? Is this true?"

Edward shrugged. "She guessed. Besides, there was no harm in it."

"No harm? No harm!" Rosalie stood up and slammed her chair back against the wall. I saw Esme cringe at the possible damage being done to her antique dining chair. "Do you have any idea what you have done? You have let your feelings compromise our family's safety! We have to move. Tonight."

"Don't be absurd," Edward said with gritted teeth.

"I'm being absurd? _I'm _being absurd?" Rosalie shrieked.

"Rosalie, please calm yourself, or I am going to have to ask you to leave this discussion," Carlisle said in a grim voice. "Now, this is a bit of a serious matter. The fact remains that even if you believe that there is no threat from Bella Swan…" He trailed off and looked at me, obviously asking for advice from my gift.

I closed my eyes and then allowed myself to roll my eyes a little. I knew Bella wouldn't tell. I trusted her completely. But for my father's sake I focused as best as I could on the future, especially on Bella and my family.

After a minute of scanning the frustrating blurriness, I opened my eyes. "In terms of what my visions say, it's too hard to tell," I said. "_Someone_," and with that I glared at Edward, "still hasn't completely decided some things, and so Bella's future isn't clear. But I can tell you that Bella will never tell a soul about us. She cares about Edward too much to do so. Besides, look at this logically. She's known for almost twenty-four hours. If she were going to tell someone, wouldn't she have done so already?"

Esme nodded her head as if my argument had persuaded her, but Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie still did not look convinced. "Say you're correct," Jasper said. "Say there is no danger from this human-"

"Bella," Edward and I interjected.

"Yes, fine, Bella. Even if we are safe from her revealing our secret… Edward, you have broken one of our most respected and important laws. How do you think the Volturi will react when they find out-"

"The Volturi will find out nothing," Edward said in a firm voice. "How would they know? Were one of you going to tell them?" he asked in a challenging voice, glaring from Rosalie to Jasper and back to Rosalie.

"Alright, alright. Let's everybody calm down," Carlisle said in a commanding tone. "Obviously we have a situation. Now, what's done is done. Regardless of what should have happened, Bella Swan now knows a great deal about us. Instead of placing blame or throwing mindless accusations, let's decide if something needs to be done."

Everyone grew quiet. Rosalie was still standing with her arms crossed in front of her chest. Jasper was biting his bottom lip, a habit left over from his human days that meant he was thinking deeply. Esme was staring intently at Edward, obviously thinking a message to him.

"I say the human needs to be disposed of," Jasper said suddenly. Edward froze.

"Jasper," I gasped in an appalled voice.

Edward slowly turned toward Jasper and then said, in a deadly-serious voice, "You think what?"

Jasper, who had led countless battles yet hates to be the center of attention, cleared his throat and glanced around nervously before repeating. "I think the human needs to be destroyed. She knows too much. While she lives our very existence is in jeopardy. It would be a tragedy, but such tragedies are necessary from time to time."

The table broke out into shouting. I could hear Edward threatening to tear Jasper limb from limb, while Rosalie was screaming that she refused to move again until she finished high school. Emmett was somewhat-quietly agreeing with Jasper, while I was torn between defending my mate from Edward and coming up with the exact right synonyms for cruel, stupid, and uncaring to hurl at Jasper. Esme looked as if she would be crying if she could. This went on like this for about fifteen seconds before Carlisle stood up and shouted, "Enough!"

Everyone instantly froze, although I noticed that Edward aimed a kick briefly at Jasper under the table before he turned to respectfully face Carlisle. It was rare for Carlisle to raise his voice.

"What is happening to our family?" Carlisle asked. "Look at yourselves, everyone. Is this truly what you want to be like? Now I know that all of you feel very strongly about your side of the issue. But I feel very strongly that we never take a human life if it can be helped."

I saw Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, and Edward all look uncomfortably down at their hands. All four of them had spilled human blood for some reason or another.

"Killing Bella Swan is not an option," Carlisle continued firmly. I saw Edward twitch at that, and I wanted to smack him. "Alice. Do we need to move?"

I closed my eyes again, feeling that it was pointless. I focused again on the future, knowing that I would see the same melee of images that I had been seeing for weeks. Indeed, once again I saw the blurry image of a floral meadow, Edward and a shadowy Bella lying in the sun. I saw Edward running quicker than a human, than lunging into a crouch, then grabbing Bella's hand and swinging her onto his back. The images then dissolved into a whirling cloud of smoke.

I opened my eyes and grimaced in frustration. "Everything is going to come to a fork on Saturday. For some reason that day is extremely significant. It will mark the turning point of Edward's indecision regarding Bella." I turned to frown at Edward, who was doggedly refusing to meet my gaze. "In terms of whether we need to move, I think that will be decided on Saturday as well. If Bella does not return alive, great suspicion will be placed on our family, especially since several people know that Edward and Bella have plans. But Edward is about eighty-nine percent certain that he won't kill her right now."

"Eighty-nine percent," Rosalie said. "Well that's great. You're eighty-nine percent sure that you won't ruin my life on Saturday. Could you do me a favor, Edward, and try to make it all the way up to a hundred?"

"Could you do me a favor, Rosalie, and try not to make everything about y-"

"Silence, now." Carlisle's tone brooked no refusal. "We are a family. And we are all going to resume acting like a family this instant. Do you understand me?" Carlisle looked each and every one of us in the eye for a moment and then said, "Good. Now, Edward, I implore you to make the right decision. For both Bella and our family. But we all stand behind you, no matter what happens, as your family." He glanced around the table again. "Isn't that right, family?"

Everyone nodded, even Rosalie (albeit reluctantly). "Fabulous," Carlisle said and placed his palm down loudly on the table. "Family discussion adjourned." He turned around and walked out of the room. A few seconds later we heard the door to his study slam shut.

"I'd better check on him," Esme said quietly and got up silently and quickly from the table. She paused to place a hand on Edward's bowed head, and then in a second she was gone.

"Well, I think I need to stretch my legs," Emmett said in a nonchalant tone.

Everyone looked up at him and stared. "You what?" I asked.

"My legs. I think I've been still for too long. I'm going to go for a run. Who's in? Jasper?"

Jasper turned his intent stare, which he had been directing at my face, to Emmett. "A run sounds good," he said after a long pause.

"Rose?" Emmett asked and gave her a light punch on the arm. "I bet you can't beat me."

"What am I, twelve years old?" Rosalie grumbled. Then she sighed and said, "Let me change my shoes." She ran out the door.

"How about you, Edward? You game?" Emmett looked over to Edward with a puppy-dog smile.

"No. I'll be running a different direction tonight, if it's all the same to you," Edward said in a cold voice and then slipped out of the room.

"But we haven't even decided where we're going!" Emmett called after Edward.

I shook my head at my clueless brother.

"Half-pint? You're game, right?"

I thought about it. I was still incredibly angry at the rest of my siblings, including Jasper (who continued to stare at me). I didn't really want to spend much time with them. Yet I knew it would be better to let this fight die out then to let it simmer.

"You know what, Emmett? I'm so confident that I can beat you that I'll give you a thirty second head start," I said slowly.

A huge smile broke out over Emmett's face. "Oh it is on!" he cried out. "Babe, you ready?"

Rosalie sprinted into the room in brand-new tennis shoes. "Let's go," she said, and the two of them tore out of the room and into the entrance hall.

"Go on ahead, Jasper. I'll be right behind you," I said without looking at him.

I heard him sigh and then follow after Rose and Emmett.

_Twenty-seven, Twenty-six, Twenty-five… _I counted down in my head, giving my siblings their head start. At the same time I gazed off into the future, focusing on Edward. I saw him running up to the Swan home and come to a stop just in front of the little house. He will stand staring up at the window that faces the street for three seconds and then begin to climb the outside of the house quickly. I had just enough time to see him slip into the window before my internal clock told me that thirty seconds had passed.

"Ready or not, here I come!" I called out, and ran to race after my family.


End file.
